Chilean architecture firm Umwelt has constructed a wood house and a black cabin for a young family, on a property overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The project comprises two buildings, titled BL1 and BL2, on a spacious plot with no trees in central Chile. Umwelt designed the residences for a young family who moved from the capital Santiago to the beach town of Cáhuil, seeking a more natural lifestyle.

"It is not a second home for resting or escaping during the weekends but the possibility of transforming their metropolitan lifestyle to a more informal and rural one, with a direct and constant contact with the natural environment," said Umwelt, a studio based in Santiago.

The main residence, BL1, measures 1,399 square feet (130 square metres) and comprises a two-storey addition to an existing bungalow – forming an L-shaped plan and creating a triangular outdoor patio in between. The older east-west wing blocks the south wind to shelter the terrace, while a pergola shades it from the sun.
"The 5,000-square-metre site has no trees and distant view towards the ocean, coinciding with the west orienta­tion," said Umwelt. "A predominant and steady wind comes from the south, and from the north only when it rains."

BL1 features a flat roof and is clad in wood. A ladder leads to a portion of the rooftop, designed as a lookout point for watching the surf, complete with a rack for hanging wetsuits and flippers. A detached...