Home tour: inside the Loop House, architect Carlo Calma’s gravity-defying modern masterpiece

First impressions of the house are undeniably dramatic. The expansive frontage is defined by a rhythmic sequence of angled concrete pillars that appear to actively challenge the laws of physics. These sweeping, origami-like forms intersect and overlap, creating a porous barrier between the street and the home. They are crowned by highly reflective, mirrored stainless steel canopies that distort and multiply the surrounding foliage and the bright tropical sky above.

“We wanted to create different garden atmospheres with different levels like altitudes in a mountain,” Calma notes, explaining the central inspiration behind this dynamic exterior architecture. “This is a deconstructed way of choreographing the users either by foot or bicycle and a new way of experience in a living setting merging infrastructure and domestic life.”

The sheer scale of this ambition is evident before one even steps through the front door. A colossal stainless steel sculpture stands just outside, an element so large and complex that it took an entire year to fabricate following the completion of the main house. This metallic marvel stands as a testament to the property’s museum-like ambition. It acts as a sentinel, guiding the eye upwards along the slanted concrete lines and preparing the visitor for the spatial fluidity that lies within.

Stepping into the home, the scale of the engineering becomes fully apparent. Calma was given a free hand by the clients, whose only requests were a flexible space for entertaining and an absolute abundance of nature and natural light. To achieve this, the architect engineered a massive, 12-metre glass atrium entirely devoid of central supporting columns. Instead, the sweeping roof is held aloft by tensioned suspension cables, similar to the structural mechanics of a suspension bridge.

This bold engineering choice creates a soaring, double-height ceiling that orchestrates a magnificent play of light from dawn until dusk. Heavy concrete louvres and slotted skylights act as an active design material, casting shadows that stretch, bend and dance across the minimalist walls throughout the day. It is a space that feels simultaneously monumental and intimately connected to the shifting rhythms of the sun.

Read also: Escape to nature at this Carlo Calma-designed property in San Vicente

Despite the home’s monumental scale and brutalist materials, it never feels cold, austere or clinical. The warmth emanates from an ingenious integration of eco-conscious practices and living greenery. Because the home was developed while the world was in lockdown, bringing nature directly into the living spaces became a paramount concern. With this, Calma introduced colossal glass terrariums that intersect the home at various elevations. These striking, multi-faceted geometric enclosures are far more than mere decoration. Encased in dark metallic frames, the terrariums house lush indoor trees and foliage that reach longingly toward the skylights above. They serve as beautifully transparent dividers between the lively, public family spaces and the quiet concentration of the artist’s studio, where a wooden easel and a blank canvas sit bathed in soft, filtered light. Furthermore, these enclosures are highly functional components of the home’s sustainable programme.

“The glass terrarium, which is very unique with its faceted geometry that gives off oxygen through photosynthesis, brings in nature in places of silence, creativity and sensations,” Calma explains. These carefully engineered microclimates naturally cool and ventilate the interior, elegantly filtering the harsh sunlight and significantly reducing the household’s energy consumption for artificial lighting. The property also features a rainwater collection system dedicated to hydrating the extensive plant life seamlessly integrated throughout the structure.

To navigate the house is to experience a masterclass in texture. Calma’s philosophy for the finishes was rooted in pure architectural tectonics: a strictly purist and minimalist approach. The raw, natural texture of the brutalist concrete skim coat is beautifully juxtaposed against the verdant foliage and metallic reflections found on the façade. This textural interplay continues into the powder room, a whimsical space where sharp, metallic fixtures pour water into a sleek grey basin against a backdrop of deep, glossy blues and silvers.

Perhaps the most poetic moment in the Loop House is found on the ground floor, where the rigid geometry of the modern architecture yields entirely to fluid, organic movement. Beneath a sculptural, spiralling white staircase lies an indoor koi pond. Calma sought to create a seamless dialogue between the concrete and these natural elements. The wooden steps, meticulously illuminated by warm LED strip lights, wrap upwards elegantly over the dark water. The staircase and adjoining ramps feel as though they are actively peeling away from the structure to create new, elevated garden altitudes.

“The fusion of great engineering so the concrete feels very fluid and the large span atrium creates that tension,” Calma observes. “The language feels like it has movement and kind of like in a state of flux.”

The ground level of the house is dedicated to grand-scale entertaining, while the second level is strictly reserved for private, restful retreats. The homeowners are avid hosts, and the flow of the living spaces was meticulously tailored to accommodate their vibrant social lifestyle and their need for ultimate flexibility.

The main dining area is a masterstroke of theatrical design. Anchoring the voluminous room is a bespoke, colossal glass table featuring a striking golden wave marble base. Resting on pristine grey and white terrazzo floors, it comfortably seats 18 guests, making it a highly engaging and flexible setting for lavish dinner parties. Surrounding the long table are original, custom-designed black chairs, their sharp, faceted forms directly inspired by antennas, providing a stark, geometric contrast to the sweeping, sensual curves of the surrounding walls.

Nearby, a massive grey domino-type modular sofa sits in the centre of the living space, allowing the clients to reconfigure their seating arrangements depending on the specific use of the room and the number of guests. A pristine grand piano sits quietly in the corner, ready to fill the cavernous, light-filled space with music. 

The main kitchen, accented with a dramatic, book-matched marble wall and sleek dark cabinetry, is designed for ultimate accessibility and visual impact. It serves as an elegant stage for a chef’s table or a sprawling, informal buffet, whilst a fully functioning back-of-house kitchen remains hidden away to manage the heavy lifting and preparation.

Yet, for all its capacity for entertaining, the home is equally adept at providing moments of quiet stillness. By removing traditional ornamentation and distilling the architecture down to its pure essence, Calma successfully carved out intimate, comforting retreats within the bold structure. The terrariums and altitude gardens create quiet pockets of domesticity, allowing the shifting natural light to dictate the mood of the rooms as the day slowly progresses into night.

Moving up the illuminated spiral staircase to the uppermost level, the rooftop terrace offers a stunning combination of nature and urbanity. The expansive space is dotted with raised geometric glass skylights jutting upward from the wooden decking, existing alongside tranquil water features and manicured greenery. Looking out from this elevated vantage point, the towering skyscrapers of the city skyline provide a dramatic backdrop, reminding the viewer of the bustling metropolis that pulses just beyond the borders of this intensely private oasis.

The architecture aligns perfectly with the everyday reality of its inhabitants, completely eschewing traditional spatial programming for something deeply personal. The husband cycles his loop on a regular basis, finding his rhythm on the ramps that wrap the exterior of his home, while the wife utilises the expansive, light-filled walls of the interior as a literal blank canvas for her visual art. Every corner, every ramp and every sliver of natural light has been calibrated to support their passions.

For the modern aesthete, a home is, at its core, the ultimate expression of personal identity. It is a physical manifestation of values, tastes and the manner in which one chooses to move through the world. When asked what overarching narrative the Loop House tells about the people who reside within its concrete and glass embrace, Calma’s answer is characteristically astute and deeply observant. “The narrative of the house really shows the characters that live there,” he reflects. “They like to push the boundaries of a home, [they like it to be] almost like a museum. They love the outdoors, and they like a unique creative expression.”

In this residential project, Calma has not just built a shelter; he has constructed a living, breathing portrait of its owners. It is a sophisticated space where raw infrastructure effortlessly meets domestic intimacy, where heavy concrete successfully mimics the fluidity of water and where every sweeping curve and faceted glass pane invites you to look closer, move further and simply enjoy the magnificent ride.

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