Low lines: Cristián Hrdalo designs a concrete and Corten Chilean retreat

Chilean architectural firm Hrdalo, founded in 2005 and headed by Cristián Hrdalo, already has several idyllic residential projects under its belt. Developing homes for beach, countryside and mountain locations, the firm prides itself on envisioning experimental programs and working with clients who are eager to push the architectural envelope.
The newest offering from Hrdalo is the Bulcke House in Las Araucarias de Linderos, a golf club 30km south of the Chilean capital of Santiago. The home was conceived for a Belgian couple who, having lived in Chile for years, opted to return to Europe; their daughter and her small family decided to remain, so the couple embarked on the creation of a second house in the country, which would be used during family visits.
Take an interactive tour of Bulcke House
Situated on a plot where two of the corners are facing the picturesque golf course, the refined concrete home was designed to frame the views of its surroundings and to bring natural light into even the most sheltered parts of the property. Bulcke House is composed of Corten steel, poured in-situ concrete, incast wood panelling and polished concrete floors, the latter chosen to offset the warmth of the walnut furniture and doors.
The house also features a series of inner courtyards and a generous, private terrace, which acts as the home’s in-between space, separating the interior and exterior areas. ‘It acts as a transitional area that invites you out,’ Hrdalo explains. ‘It was designed to be used during winter, hot days and chilly summer nights, all possible due to the flexibility provided by the home’s sliding shutters.’
Created by Chilean architecture firm Hrdalo, the house is an elegant composition in concrete and Corten steel
Wood panelling covers the interior, with polished concrete floors offsetting the warmth of the walnut furniture and doors
The home was designed to frame the views of its surroundings and to bring natural light in
The ground floor holds the majority of the living spaces, from an open plan living and dining area, to study and guest rooms
A much smaller second level is entirely dedicated to the master suite
The house also features a series of inner courtyards and a generous, private terrace
INFORMATION
For more information, visit Hrdalo’s website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Photography: Nico Saieh
-
Put these emerging artists on your radar
This crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
By Tianna Williams
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeks
Designed by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
Creased, crumpled: S/S 2025 menswear is about clothes that have ‘lived a life’
The S/S 2025 menswear collections see designers embrace the creased and the crumpled, conjuring a mood of laidback languor that ran through the season – captured here by photographer Steve Harnacke and stylist Nicola Neri for Wallpaper*
By Jack Moss
-
A wooden lakeside cabin in southern Chile offers a new twist on the traditional barn
Clad in local Coigüe timber, this lakeside cabin by Tomás Tironi and Lezaeta Lavanchy on Lake Ranco, titled Casa Puerto Nuevo, adds contemporary flair to the local vernacular
By Léa Teuscher
-
This new lakeside house in Chile is a tour de force of contemporary timber construction
Cazú Zegers’ lakeside house Casa Pyr is inspired by the geometry of fire and flames, and nestles into its rocky site
By Jonathan Bell
-
Tour a Chilean pavilion perched on the coast: a sanctuary for sleep and star-gazing
Algarrobo-based architecture studio Whale! has designed a Chilean pavilion for rest and relaxation, overlooking a nature reserve on the Pacific coast
By Jonathan Bell
-
House in the Trees offers a bird's eye view of the Chilean forest
House in the Trees by Max Núñez and Stefano Rolla is an angular Chilean cabin in woods, touching the ground lightly
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Chile’s Panguipulli Theatre brings purpose-built architecture to the learning experience
Panguipulli Theatre, a community-centred cultural space in Chile's Región de los Ríos, combines purpose-built architecture and learning
By Ellie Stathaki
-
This Chilean beach house comprises a series of pavilions set beneath a wooden roof
WYND Architects has completed a Chilean beach house – a multigenerational family retreat, raised up above a site overlooking the Pacific Ocean
By Jonathan Bell
-
A modern barnhouse makes a faceted form on an exposed site in Southern Chile
Estudio Diagonal’s barnhouse project, Ridge House, is a stripped back private home that uses everyday materials and simple geometry to maximise interior space
By Jonathan Bell
-
Industrialised building system prototype proposes solution for urgent housing needs
We examine an industrialized building system prototype proposal by Chilean architecture practices Ignacio Rojas Hirigoyen Architects and Cristian Dominguez Fernandez
By Ellie Stathaki