Described by its architect and owner as “the biggest piece of pottery in the world,” this beautiful and inspiring 5,400-square-foot home is made entirely out of clay. Casa Terracotta is tucked away in Villa de Leyva, a mountain village in Colombia, and it’s known to locals as the Flintstone House (for obvious reasons.)
Its creator, Octavio Mendoza, is an artist and environmental activist who wishes to show how soil can be transformed into livable architecture simply using the natural resources that are readily available. No conventional building materials like cment or steel were used in the construction.
With Casa Terracotta, which was formed by hand and baked in the sun in a process that’s ideally suited for the Colombia climate, Mendoza invites us to reconsider what we consider ‘architecture.’ Can’t it be art, too? Looking at the photos, the answer is an emphatic ‘yes.’ The shape of the home is fluid, the clay embedded with mosaic tiles and round windows. Custom details are found throughout, like little balconies and rainbow-tinted steps.
“Additional to the former is the fact that Casa Terracota is a unique space, destined not only to embody and promote my philosophy but also to spark off architectural and artistic experimentation,” says Mendoza. “This means that we are always encouraging the creation of alternative proposals for the use and decoration of its spaces—all with the help of those same four elements of nature. For this we are in constant contact with artisans, artists, architects, designers and other craftsmen who are interested in helping us take the project even further.”

