Contemporary house floating above hillside — Floating Hill House by Hurtado Arquitectos, Nicaragua

Location

Managua, Nicaragua

Scope

Architecture & Interior Design

Program

Private Residence

Project Overview

Floating Hill House takes its name from its most defining quality — the house appears to rest weightlessly above the hill, touching the land as little as possible. Earthworks were kept to a minimum, limited only to what was necessary for the garage. Behind the house, the hillside remains untouched, preserved beneath a structure engineered to float above it.

Two cantilevered elements make this possible. A single trapezoidal concrete column — imposing yet precise — carries the full weight of the cantilevered social terrace above. A separate beam suspends the primary bedroom and one secondary bedroom over the slope, with nothing but air and landscape beneath.

Throughout the interior, the boundary between inside and outside is deliberately blurred. Full-height glazing and central courtyards run along the principal spaces, flooding the home with natural light and enabling constant cross-ventilation — a direct response to the tropical climate. In place of a formal living room, an open living-terrace connects seamlessly to every main space in the house.

Large-scale metal pergolas — composed of steel plate fins — wrap the exterior, filtering solar exposure while becoming one of the project's most distinctive architectural elements. Inside, exposed concrete walls meet timber tongue-and-groove ceilings and travertine marble floors — a material palette that balances rawness with warmth, industry with nature.

Open living terrace with full-height glazing and garden views — Floating Hill House by Hurtado Arquitectos
Landscaped courtyard at DC House, with tall cypress trees, white exterior walls and a gravel pathway connecting the residential spaces.
Open living terrace with full-height glazing and garden views — Floating Hill House by Hurtado Arquitectos
Main entrance of DC House, featuring cantilevered white volumes, a timber soffit and tropical landscaping along the arrival pathway.
Covered entrance walkway at DC House, where a continuous timber ceiling and white walls frame the approach to the private residence.
Contemporary house floating above hillside — Floating Hill House by Hurtado Arquitectos, Nicaragua
DC House entrance at dusk, featuring a cantilevered white roof, warm timber finishes, recessed lighting and a landscaped arrival courtyard.
Covered outdoor terrace at DC House, with timber dining furniture, floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a direct connection to the interior living spaces and garden.

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