Moody concrete house is hiding a lush courtyard

Sun lovers, look elsewhere. This concrete box of a house in Perth, Australia, looks like a giant cinderblock—and we mean that in a good way. Morq, an architecture studio out of Italy and Australia, designed the Cloisters House for maximum privacy, which is to say there are few windows in sight.

The architects wrapped the house in rammed concrete like a present; to get to the good stuff you have to go inside. The interior of the house opens onto an airy central courtyard filled with plants and light. “The everyday activities of the inhabitants are continuously framed by the central void,” the studio told Dezeen.

Givlio Aristide

Givlio Aristide

The house is split into two main areas—one for the owners, and a second section at the opposite end of the house for guests. Most of the rooms rely on the courtyard to bring in a soft, moody light. Though the bunker-style house trend isn’t for everyone, it’s hard to argue with the magic of sliding open kitchen doors and having a private al fresco dining situation, just like that.