A once-vacant 1950s house in Montevideo, Uruguay was transformed by architects, FROM, who took the bones of the dilapidated structure and gave it a future. The new conservatory-like structure was reimagined as the Native House, a bright, open family home designed for a family returning to Uruguay after years living abroad. Originally, the home was divided by function, with social areas upstairs and a parade of garages below, but the new design overhauled the layout of the two-storey structure, rethought interiors creating a more balanced flow between the levels. 

The interiors were entirely stripped back, with partitions, staircases, and even parts of the façade removed to reveal the home’s simple structure, the plan to emphasize the openness and connection of the space. Surrounded by a lush, wild garden, visitors reach the house through the dense, untamed foliage via a ramp to enter at ground level. Having removed a bridge that once served as the entrance, the architects’ decision transformed the lower floor into the bustling, active heart of the home, the space linking the front garden directly to the backyard. A sculptural staircase – extending indoors and outdoors – wraps the side of the home and connects both floors to a new rooftop addition, a semicircular greenhouse and workshop space that serves as the home’s creative hub. Along with the greenhouse roof and the exterior staircase, green and white striped awnings add to the home’s quirks, the design blending mid-century elements with contemporary updates to leave a home that feels both rooted and renewed.

Photography © Aldo Lanzi