House Tour Falcon House

Firmly rooted in its locale, Falcon House not only embraces but personifies its rural location on the Kenyan Coast.

Situated on the remote island of Manda off the Kenyan Coast, the residential property, which was designed by architect Andrea Veglia of PAT, was not only inspired by its surrounds but also by the owner’s childhood and Veglia’s interest in modernist architecture.

It all started when Veglia and the client met several years ago when Veglia’s company was working on midcentury villas in Sardinia.

“He was saying he one day wanted a house like these – bare concrete, exposed steel, right in front of the sea but impossible to see, completely hidden in nature,” says Veglia of the client’s dream home.

And he had just the spot to do so – a plot on Kenya’s Manda Island, overlooking the ancient city of Lamu, lush with mature acacia and baobab trees, and a sandy path that leads to a private beach.

‘It was a project with a rather long gestation period. This part of Kenya is not popular with tourists, and has a long and rich history,’ says Veglia of the site-specific design that elegantly incorporates its natural, rural surrounds in the design, including an existing structure which now houses the kitchen and several living spaces.

From the simple yet elegant open-plan structure, which consists of three light, elevated pavilions, to the building materials and fuss-free decor, it oozes low-key cool in a natural, effortless way.

“We wanted to use humble materials that feel right for the place, and elevate them,” explains Veglia of the choices, which mostly include metal and timber that will be able to age gracefully, adding to the patina of the setting, creating a beach retreat that’s distinctly cool, yet distinctly indistinctive in its setting.