This solid concrete house in Chile is an elemental response to a rugged coastal landscape. The house is for sale for around NZ$2.18m.

Every now and then, an architect really thinks outside the square and delivers something quite extraordinary.

That's exactly what Pritzer Prize-winning Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena has done on a cliff-top high above the Pacific Ocean.

Come at this building from behind and you could swear you were looking at ancient stones – a sort of square-edged Easter Island edifice.

WILLIAM ROJAS It looks like two ancient stones stacked together in a dramatic landscape, but this is the Ochoquebradas house in Chile by award-winning architect Alejandro Aravena.

But this concrete house, which is the third stage of a development in Ochoquebradas, is a magnificent 250 square-metre holiday home.

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The architect says he set out to "explore the possibilities of primitivism; a place of retreat that allows us to return to the purest and most essential way of life".

WILLIAM ROJAS Doors in the walls peel back to open up windows, transforming the building into a home.

"That is why there is no fireplace, but a place for fire, and its concrete walls aspire to age-like stones, gentle with nature, yet brutal with the passage of time."

Even the elemental architecture borders on the primitive: "The three volumes of concrete, one on top of the others, can easily be confused with the rugged landscape."

Designed to inspired tranquility, the main level accommodates the living room, dining room, kitchen, patio with bonfire / fire pit, and the master suite with a walk-in closet and bathroom. All the spaces can be integrated, thanks to large windows and sliding walls that allow open-loft living or privacy.

WILLIAM ROJAS Living areas are in the lower volume, which cantilevers out over the hillside to maximise views out to sea.

On the other three levels, there are three bedrooms each with its own bathroom, offering privacy and a close relationship with the magnificent landscape. There are also two imposing terraces – an intimate covered terrace on the top floor, and on the entrance level a large terrace suspended above the ravine.

Aravena says Ochoalcubo is considered an "architectural laboratory" that's unique in the world. Just 4km from Los Vilos, there are 800 hectares of virgin land, facing the sea – a magical place with dramatic cliffs, bays, dunes and rock formations, where Ochoquebradas is developed.

Recognized Japanese and Chilean architects have been invited to design houses. Among them are three Pritzker winners, Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa and, of course, Alejandro Aravena.

WILLIAM ROJAS The size of the house is daunting.

And now, this house has been listed by Yolanda Tejeda of Sotheby's International Realty in Chile. It is on the market for around US$1.45 million (NZ$2.185 million).

WILLIAM ROJAS The intersecting volumes enhance the visual drama.

WILLIAM ROJAS The upper deck is a private space to enjoy the outdoors.

WILLIAM ROJAS The open-plan living area includes a fire pit, rather than a fireplace, which aligns with the architect's desire for a more 'primitive' feel.

WILLIAM ROJAS Even modern convenience is provided, however, including a stunning kitchen equipped with Miele appliances.

WILLIAM ROJAS A spiral staircase winds it way between the different levels, maintaining the raw concrete materiality of the exterior.

WILLIAM ROJAS Large windows provide different glimpses of the rugged landscape.

WILLIAM ROJAS The house is for sale through Sotheby's International Realty in Chile, for around $2.18 million.

WILLIAM ROJAS It's a very pared-back look to create the essence of simplicity.

WILLIAM ROJAS Naturally, the master suite is positioned within the cantilevered volume for the most dramatic views.

WILLIAM ROJAS Even the bathrooms are in keeping with the look.