Ultra-Modern Argentinian Home

Seeing the inside of someone’s house is a fun (and harmless) way to get a glimpse inside their life. The art on the walls, the care with which pillows are fluffed, even an expanse of snow-white rug — all are clues to how people live. This house in the Buenos Aires suburbs of Argentina is a bit different: it hints at how the owner thinks. Let’s take a look.

From a distance, the house, known as Casa Molecule, isn’t particularly thrilling: boxy, grey and symmetrical. On the front steps, though, you’ll encounter the first of many aluminum structures that the listing calls “an exceptional socket system … with an incredible strength so as to resist any kind of weight.” That — plus the name — makes me think this is home to a scientist, inventor or engineer.

Even the kitchen tables have aluminum-tube bases which, paired with thick wood tops, make them look like workbenches. Exposed ductwork, open shelving and polished concrete floors add to the laboratory vibe. If the science of cooking isn’t really your field, the restaurants of downtown Buenos Aires are less than an hour’s drive away.

The dining room is a bit softer, with wood floors, cream walls and Louis XVI chairs. But with only two chairs and a computer open on the table, it seems like this room is meant for work, too. And apparently it’s paid off: the listing proudly states that the aluminum tube system’s creator won an award from the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2009.

The geodesic structures continue inside, both forming a geometric motif and doing the important job of holding up that second-storey walkway. A chessboard and easel tucked in the corner suggest that the occupant’s interests extend beyond engineering, though I’m not sure what hobby the full-length mirror on casters points to.

You don’t have to be scientifically or mathematically inclined to appreciate that this is a pretty nice bathroom. Plenty of light, plenty of handy under-sink storage, plenty of room in that deep blue bathtub. There are 1-1/2 other bathrooms, as well as three bedrooms, a spacious terrace and outdoor pool, plus a lawn with a geodesic jungle gym.

Could you work — and play — here? Or would you rather invent your own space?

Photo credits:
1-5. Sotheby’s Realty Argentina