Catwalks and Glass Tunnels Tie Together Living Spaces in a Verdant Colombian Hillside Home
A zigzagging floor plan provides the family that lives there with plenty of chances to find both privacy and connection.
A zigzagging floor plan provides the family that lives there with plenty of chances to find both privacy and connection.
For nomadic software executive Serge Kruppa, home was typically wherever he could hook up to high-speed Internet and a talented team of developers. Since graduating college in Geneva in 1992, the Swiss-born Brit has lived all over the world, doing stints in San Francisco, Budapest, and Mexico City, among other places. But each failed to seduce him enough to put down roots.
Colombia, on the other hand, has intrigued him from the first time he visited the country with his mother, in 1999. He fell in love with the spectacular mountain vistas—reminiscent of the Alps of his childhood—and in 2008, he persuaded an executive at the San Francisco–based tech company where he was working to let him start an office in Medellín.
Soon after arriving, he met his future wife, graphic designer Luisa Alzate, a Paisa, as the locals from the Colombian region of Antioquia are known. Their son, Santiago, followed in 2010 and, with his arrival, plans for a family home.
Double-height ceilings and walls of glass bring dramatic openness to a home in Colombia designed by Medellín architecture firm Câpâ for graphic designer Luisa Alzate, tech executive Serge Kruppa, and their son, Santiago. Luisa sits at an inflection point in the plan, which connects four modules—one for each family member plus one for the common areas—in zigzag fashion down a sloping site.
Photo by Mateo Soto
The perfect site presented itself during a driving lesson. ("I learned to drive when I was forty-four," Serge confesses.) While practicing in a quiet, hillside community, Serge saw an empty lot with gorgeous views, thanks to its altitude of 8,500 feet. Serge and Luisa looked into it and learned that the neighborhood was free of the architectural prescriptions imposed in other nearby developments.
Serge tends to the Stûv wood burning stove in the dining area as Luisa looks on. The corner is the family’s favorite gathering spot—"a contemporary cave for three," says Serge. Luisa’s module, with its cactus-lined terrace, is visible through the glass wall.
Photo by Mateo Soto
After a deep dive into different styles of design—including trips to visit Joseph Eichler homes in California and Tadao Ando’s work in Japan—the couple found themselves wanting to create an example of what philosopher Alain de Botton calls an "architecture of happiness"—"lots of natural light, interesting connected volumes, and open visual perspectives," says Serge—with a low carbon footprint.
"I wanted our house to bring us joy, but also be gentle to the environment."
—Serge Kruppa, resident
A squadron of Louis Poulsen PH5 lamps hovers in the kitchen, while Knoll chairs surround a vintage wood table that Serge bought in Mexico in 2004.
Photo by Mateo Soto
See the full story on Dwell.com: Catwalks and Glass Tunnels Tie Together Living Spaces in a Verdant Colombian Hillside Home
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