With almost 300 miles of coastline, Puerto Rico is known for its oceanfront views. But when Toronto-based firm Paul Raff Studio was tapped to undertake a house renovation in an island enclave in Dorado Beach without beachside access, the team had to apply creative solutions to engage with the tropical topography. “We found subtle but effective ways to feel immersed in the landscape,” says Raff.

To minimize the carbon footprint, the home’s original core and peaked roof were retained. In the living room, this resulted in a five-metre ceiling height, strengthening the open and breezy atmosphere.

Dubbed Villa Brisana, the reimagined 385-square-metre residence in Puerto Rico is intimately connected to the outdoors. By converting the existing den into a dining room and removing adjoining walls and beams to interconnect the spaces, as well as installing a pool that reaches both the garden and the principal bedroom — not to mention the whopping 11 all-glass sliding doors leading to the backyard, courtyard and other outdoor pockets — the recently renovated home feels like a genuine extension of the world outside. “Living in this tropical landscape, you want to feel connected to nature,” says Raff. “So the home is now fluid and breezy; it invites nature in at every turn.”

“We wanted the house to feel like an extension of the landscape. The sand-coloured flooring, interplay of light and shadow, and strategic landscaping make it feel like you’re always living with nature, even inside,” says architect Paul Raff.

But while Raff and the team are admittedly “obsessed with natural light,” passive shading techniques also had to play a major role in this free-flowing interior. Their solution? Three sculptural terracotta solar screens with a mesmerizing pattern of scalloped cut-outs. Roughly five to 10 metres long — and covering 20 per cent of the overall exterior — these elegant shades provide privacy and visual depth while also mitigating sun glare. Along with the facade’s whitewashed stucco, the shades’ terracotta — a local architectural material — is a nod to the Caribbean region. “Our studio is constantly experimenting with creative use of everyday materials to devise rich visual–spatial artistic effects,” Raff says. “I love how it looks different from different angles, shifting as you move around it.”