My Houzz: Lush Views for a Modern Nicaraguan Home
Undaunted by a steep slope, a contractor creates an open home that embraces its hilly vistas and offers his family a sanctuary
Louise Lakier is a contributing photographer for Houzz. She is a designer, a construction manager, a photographer, traveler and storyteller. She is currently in Central America.
Louise Lakier is a contributing photographer for Houzz. She is a designer,... More »
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For general contractor Francisco Wheelock and his wife, Myriam Caldera, the move to this dream house was a happy homecoming. After studying civil engineering in Texas, Wheelock returned to his hometown of Managua, Nicaragua, and found an ideal lot with views of the Sierras de Managua. Challenged with a steep slope, Wheelock worked with architect Daniel Hurtado to create a modern, open home framed by balconies.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Francisco Wheelock and Myriam Caldera, daughters Adriana (age 3) and Vanessa (1); dogs Dante and Kafka
Location: Santo Domingo neighborhood of Managua, Nicaragua
Size: 5,000 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Francisco Wheelock and Myriam Caldera, daughters Adriana (age 3) and Vanessa (1); dogs Dante and Kafka
Location: Santo Domingo neighborhood of Managua, Nicaragua
Size: 5,000 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
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by Louise Lakier
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| The exterior design nestles sculptural forms within the natural setting. Wheelock is a fan of Mexican modern architecture — the work of Ricardo Legorreta and Luis Barragán had a big impact on the home's design. |
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| The front and back entrances are aligned with trees preserved during construction. Here, a concrete path zigzags next to an avocado tree at the front entrance. |
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| The entry door pivots, revealing lush green views of the Sierras de Managua (Managua Hills) beyond. A rain chain and thriving leather leaf palm plants in concrete planters frame the entrance. |
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| The exposed roof beams inside are made from Pochote, a local hardwood. Wheelock wrapped exposed beams in banana leaf rope for a pretty detail. |
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| A series of custom pendant lamps from Catarina — a neighboring town known for its crafts — casts shadows on the white walls and clerestory windows. Wheelock originally looked at paper lanterns before coming up with a more durable design made from bent cane. Wheelock also designed the cherrywood dining table. Photo by Ana Laura Contreras |
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| The open living room gains visual space with wall-to-wall folding doors, custom made from Spanish cedar. The door system on both sides of the living room slides on a track designed to carry a load of 3,000 pounds. |
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| The living spaces extend onto a large reinforced concrete balcony, scored to reduce cracking. A sliver of tempered glass expresses the transition from inside to outside and filters light into the hallway below the balcony. The open design helps combat Managua's hot weather. "Our house sits 1,500 feet above sea level, about 1,200 feet higher than most of Managua," Wheelock says. "The 80-degree average temperature in our neighborhood versus the 95-degree Managua average really makes a difference." |
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| Wheelock designed this outdoor table using a hollowed-out stump found near the house. Wheelock is thinking of adding an outdoor kitchen and a barbecue area to the balcony, too. |
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| Looking back at the house, you can see the terraced backyard design. "The biggest challenge was the steepness of the lot and the beauty of the existing trees," Wheelock says. "It took a lot of effort to come up with a design that was able to work in such constrained ground, especially while doing minimal earthwork, trying to preserve the trees that were there." |
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Cascading concrete steps transition to the terraced backyard. The two wings of the house frame a thoughtfully placed view of an Aceituno tree.
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| The main staircase back inside leads to the bedrooms and kitchen. The light fixture was designed by Wheelock and custom made by Art Metal in León, Nicaragua. The leather artwork belonged to Wheelock's late grandmother. "She bought it in a Mexico market in the '90s and had it framed. It's probably one of the few art pieces in the house with major sentimental value," he says. |
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| The Spanish cedar and stainless steel staircase was designed to be open to the light. The floor-to-floor height here is 16 feet. |
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| The stairs lead down into this family room and playroom next to the girls' rooms. The rooms share a balcony for outdoor access, and the couple's young daughters love to draw on the concrete with colorful chalk. |
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| A balcony connects the girls' bedrooms. |
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| Each bedroom also has a custom hand-painted nature-inspired mural, and because each has its own bathroom, one can double as a guest room. |
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| In the master bedroom, Wheelock designed all the furniture and built-ins. "My latest splurge is a 55-inch-screen TV," he says. Pendants: TechnoLite, Nicaragua |
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| The bathroom sits next to a linear courtyard space, filled with river rock and vines. |
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| The windows above the bathtub slide wide open, offering unobstructed views. "As a builder, I thoroughly enjoyed shopping for flooring, the slate that went into the bathrooms and granite," says Wheelock. |
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| The kitchen is next to the laundry room. Slate floor tile and natural wood cabinetry tie the kitchen in to the rest of the home. Cabinets: Interiors, Nicaragua |
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| Wheelock works in his home office at night. "We really like a modern, straightforward style that lets the architecture speak for itself," he says. |
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| "Our favorite room in the house is the open deck," Wheelock says. "With it being so close to the treetops, it almost feels as if you're in a tree house." |
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by Louise Lakier
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| "My home is my family's sanctuary," says Wheelock, sitting here with his wife and daughters. |
Ideabook published on Feb. 9, 2013.
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