This compact house was prefabricated in a factory near the Uruguayan capital, before being transported 200 kilometres by lorry to its destination ? a picturesque olive grove surrounded by rolling hills (+ slideshow).

Called Retreat in Finca Aguy, the 115-square-metre property was designed by MAPA, a studio with offices in Brazil and Uruguay.
The firm has previously designed several prefabricated properties, including some for modular housing company Minimod. But for this house, MAPA wanted to do something a bit more special, so designed the property to sit over a series of stone walls.

The house is made up of two identical modules, each approximately 12.5 metres long.
These were built in a factory on the outskirts of Montevideo then trucked to Pueblo Edén.
The two blocks were then lowered into place over the two criss-crossing stone walls so that they sit side by side.

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Additional structural elements are concealed behind the walls, ensuring the two volumes are sufficiently supported.

The result is a building that appears more permanent than many other small prefabricated structures. The architects describe it as a "perfect combination of industry and landscape".
"New kinds of landscapes deserve new ways of dwelling," said the team. "Remote landscapes confront us with the awareness of immenseness. It puts us in our role in reality."

The ...