Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Maralto Matanzas Cabins by Croxatto & Opazo Arquitectos

Maralto Matanzas Cabins by Croxatto & Opazo Arquitectos

Croxatto & Opazo Arquitectos build a pair of secluded oak cabins in the rugged landscape of Navidad, Chile.

These slender, stacked cabins by Santiago-based Croxatto & Opazo Arquitectos are shaped by a set of challenging constraints: a limited budget, steep slopes, and blustery coastal winds.

"It was an interesting exercise in how to propose good architecture with scarcity," says co-founder Felipe Croxatto. He and his partner, Nicolas Opazo, were commissioned by two young couples who sought to build neighboring, nature-focused holiday homes that could be rented out on Airbnb under the Maralto brand.



Located within walking distance to the coastal village of Matanzas, the two Maralto cabins are named La Loica and La Tagua after local bird species.



Steep trails provide access to the beach. The famous kitesurfing beach Pupuya is a 10-minute drive away.

To minimize costs for the foundations, Croxatto and Opazo built upwards by strategically stacking a series of timber cubes to optimize ocean views and protect against strong winds. "Since the footprint is small, we created a double-height space to expand the interior and make the building feel bigger than it appears," notes Croxatto. "This strategy makes it look like a great tower looking out over sea."



Both cabins are elevated on wooden pillars about 260 feet above sea level.



"On the first floor, we decided to open the cabins up to views with a floor-to-ceiling window that connects the living area to the sea," explains Felipe Croxatto. "In the second-floor bedroom, we frame select views through smaller windows."

One of the main challenges was getting materials to the steep hillside, which initially lacked road and utility access. In the beginning, the design team worked off-grid with a water tank and electric generator as they sourced three types of local timbers. "Matanzas produces wood, so it’s a very easy material to get at an affordable price," says Croxatto.



The 269-square-foot La Tagua cabin, seen on the left, is set downslope from the 204-square-foot La Loica cabin and is connected to the main road by three flights of stairs.



"The biggest problem was the windows," says Croxatto. "They could only be installed on days without wind, and as you can see, the main facade doesn’t have a ledge-so they were inserted from the rooftop to their final position. This took many days to complete."

The architects built the structures and supportive pillars from pressure-treated, chamber-dried pine, which they selected for its durability in coastal climates. The buildings are clad with panels made from reclaimed oak railroad ties treated with petroleum oil for protection against corrosion.



The petroleum-treated reclaimed oak cladding was selected for its corrosion resistance and its rustic look, which helps the cabins blend into their surroundings.

The interior of each cabin is wrapped in light-colored pine treated with natural oil finishes. The layouts are also similar-each cabin has an open-plan living/dining/cooking space on the ground floor, with a lofted sleeping space above.



A wooden ladder leads up to the loft bedroom. A wood-burning stove provides heating.



The bedroom in La Tagua faces views of the green slope to the south. The loft also includes a sheltered terrace and another small bed to the side.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, large glazed doors, and north-facing terraces connect each cabin to the spectacular site. All construction for the cabins-including utility and road access-was completed on-site in eight months.

"Every time the clients go to the Matanzas Maralto Cabins, they call to congratulate us on the great experience we created," says Croxatto. "We look back and remember all the challenges we overcame to achieve this result, and it makes us very happy."



The outdoor terraces for both cabins face north for shelter against strong winds.



The outdoor lighting is powered by solar energy.



The cabins, which are available to rent on AirBnB, are outfitted with all the basic essentials needed for a private getaway.



La Tagua axonometric diagram



La Tagua ground floor plan



La Tagua loft plan



La Loica axonometric diagram



La Loica ground floor plan



La Loica section

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×