Architect Guillermo Acuña has added a wide wooden stair to an old boathouse as part of his self-designed retreat on a remote bluff in Chile.

Acuña complete the property on the remote peninsula of Isla Lebe, which is located just off the Chiloe archipelago's Rilan Bay in the south of Chile. This part of Los Lagos province is known for its idyllic coastal setting and natural beauty.

"The small five-hectare island looks towards the fjords and channels that make up the Desertores archipelago, between the Michinmahuida and Corcovado volcanoes," Acuña said in a project description.

"Every six hours, large masses of water flood then empty the horizon, connecting and disconnecting the island from the nearby coast as the marine ground appears and disappears almost without notice," he added.
Aptly named Isla Lebe, the residence comprises three pavilions that are connected to each other and the nearby beach via staircases and boardwalks that cut through the surrounding vegetation. Their simple wooden structures are covered in larch shingles, a deciduous species that has gained a silvery patina from the salty air.

The largest of the three structures is a repurposed boathouse, to which Guillermo Acuña added an additional floor with two separate living suites above.

A large trapezoidal staircase connects the two level's respective terraces, and also serves as raked seating overlooking the scenery surrounding the peninsula.

The ground level, where boats were...