To make the move from Virginia, a couple tapped their architect son to create a board-formed concrete house with curvaceous details and overflowing gardens.
It’s never too late to start anew. For Paul and Rachel Vanden Bout, that meant teetering into the unknown and building a new life abroad—at the age of 86.
While visiting Oaxaca, Mexico, the couple fell for a hillside lot with sweeping desert views and began to imagine a new way of living. It wasn’t just a whim—their son and daughter-in-law, NV Design Architecture principals Tom Vanden Bout and Brenda Nelson, had designed a home of their own just across the road.
Paul and Rachel Vanden Bout recently left Virginia to join their son and daughter-in-law—NV Design Architecture principals Tom Vanden Bout and Brenda Nelson—in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Amy Bello
When the parcel hit the market, Paul and Rachel decided that, after years of building a life in Virginia, it was time to take the leap. "It was such an adventure," says Tom, who designed the property for his now-neighboring parents. "It’s hard to believe they’ve done it."
Designed by NV Design Architecture, Rachel and Paul’s home is crafted from poured-in-place concrete with custom steel-and-glass windows and doors, plaster-finished interior partitions, and local hardwood cabinetry.
Amy Bello
They initially had a modest vision. "We dreamed of a little casita," says Rachel. But as plans evolved, so did the program, and they wound up adding space for visiting family, a workshop for Paul’s woodworking pastime, and a floor plan that would permit living on one level.
An outdoor spa screened by breeze blocks extends off the bathroom in the primary suite.
Amy Bello
See the full story on Dwell.com: They Built a Unique Barrel-Vaulted Home—and a New Life in Oaxaca—at 86 Years Old
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