THE ATELIER
We design and build houses in Uruguay to Swiss standards of precision, on the Atlantic coast where lime, stone and wood meet the sea, and every detail is drawn before it is built.
YOUR LANGUAGE
Build your house
in your own language.
Building a home in a new country should feel clear from the very first conversation. Our team speaks English, German and Spanish, so every meeting on site, every drawing, every budget and every contract is explained in the language you think in.
SWISS STANDARDS
Built in Uruguay,
to Swiss standards.
We bring the discipline we lived by in Switzerland to every house we build on this coast, so that what is promised on paper is exactly what stands on your land.
Planned to the millimetre
Complete construction drawings and details are finished before the first foundation is poured.
A price that holds
A line-by-line budget signed by us, with every change priced and approved by you in writing.
A schedule we keep
Clear milestones agreed at the start, with progress reported to you every week.
Quality checked at every stage
Each phase is inspected against a written checklist before the next one begins.
Materials that last
Proven materials and careful insulation, chosen for the sea air, the sun and the winter wind.
Complete documentation
Plans, permits, guarantees and a maintenance guide for your house, handed over in one file.
Designs
DESIGN STUDIES · 2026
monēDESIGNED ABROAD, POSSIBLE HERE
Houses from around the world,
built for Uruguay.
monē works with architects in several countries. These houses were designed by our partner architects in Australia, and each of them can be built on the coast of Uruguay, with the same lime, timber and care.
Projects by our partner architects · Byron Bay, Australia
BUILT ACROSS THE WORLD
Houses we have built,
from Tulum to Uruguay.
Our team has built houses in Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy and Uruguay. We collaborate with architects from many parts of the world, and every place has taught us something: the order of Switzerland, the craft of Italy, the light of Spain and Portugal, the natural materials of Mexico and the coast of Uruguay. Together this lets us build houses of a rare kind, with the best of each place in one home.
Tulum, Mexico
Chukum, the Mayan plaster of lime and tree resin, tzalam wood and palapa roofs of palm, for a life close to the jungle and the sea.
Baja California, Mexico
Local stone and rammed earth, shaded patios and desert gardens of cactus, between the mountains and the Pacific.
Ibiza, Spain
Whitewashed lime, local limestone and beams of sabina juniper, with arches and terraces for long summers.
Mallorca, Spain
Golden marès sandstone, terracotta floors, green wooden shutters and gardens of olive and almond trees.
Porto, Portugal
Granite, hand-painted azulejos and cork, with views over the Douro.
Algarve, Portugal
Lime-washed walls, terracotta and lattice chimneys, above the cliffs and beaches of the south.
Zurich, Switzerland
Larch and spruce, triple glazing and Minergie efficiency, planned to the millimetre.
Tuscany, Italy
Travertine, cotto from Impruneta, chestnut beams and pietra serena, crafted with timeless detail.
Maldonado, Uruguay
Lime, local granite and piedra laja, lapacho decks and the thatched roofs of the José Ignacio coast.
We work with the finest craftsmen in every trade, and we look at every detail with the same eye: each house must be highly functional and beautifully designed, with the right lighting in every room, by day and by night.
FIRST, THE LIGHT
An old Persian story tells that a house begins with a carpet. First the carpet is laid on the ground, and then the house is built around it, so that the light falls on it perfectly.
This is how we think about every house we build: we start with how you will live and how the light will move through each room, and build everything else around it.
STYLES
One builder,
every style of house.
Our architects design in every style, from a barndominium to an Ibiza or Tulum house, and we build each one with the same precision on the coast of Uruguay.
monēPartner architectsBarndominium
A modern barn: one great gabled hall in timber, steel and stone, open and generous.
monēIbiza
White lime volumes, arched openings and shaded terraces, made for long summers.
monēPartner architectsTulum
Organic curves, chukum plaster, tropical wood and thatched shade, close to the beach and to nature.
monēPartner architects · AustraliaFlat-roof contemporary
Long, low volumes under one straight roof, with oak, glass and deep shade.
monēPartner architectsCoastal timber
Light timber houses on stilts or decks, open to the dunes and the sea.
monēPartner architectsMediterranean finca
Lime render, terracotta roof tiles, oak shutters and a stone pool deck.
monēPartner architectsConcrete minimal
Board-formed concrete, deep shaded openings and roofs that seem to float.
monēPartner architectsDune house
One long, low lime house in the sand among the pines, opening completely to the outside.
monēPartner architectsNordic barn
A pale timber barn with a dark metal roof, calm and clean in open grassland.
PRACTICE
One atelier, from the first sketch to the last coat of lime.
New houses
Design and construction of private houses, from permits and foundations to the finished home, with our architects or yours.
Renovations
Careful transformation of existing houses, from a new kitchen to a complete renewal in natural materials.
Project management
We represent you as the owner, coordinating builders and controlling quality, schedule and every invoice.
FROM LAND TO KEYS
Everything for your house,
in one place.
Together with our partner company zōē, we help you find the right land, and then design and build your house on it, so one trusted team stays with you from the first walk across the plot to the day you receive your keys.
The right land
With zōē we search, visit and check land along the coast for you, from the view and the soil to permits and title.
Architects for every style
Several architects work with us, so your house is designed by the hand that suits your vision best.
A specialist for every trade
Electricians, plumbers, stonemasons, carpenters and lime plasterers, each the most skilled we know in their field.
Interior design from around the world
We work with interior designers from Europe and across the world, and with every material your house deserves.
Art for every room
We collaborate with artists, from handmade ceramics to abstract painting, so your house is finished with original pieces down to the last detail.
monē
Design reference
Design referenceMETHOD
Drawn, priced and built
with the same precision.
- IBrief and siteWe walk the land or the house with you, listen to how you want to live, and study what the site allows.
- IIDesign and fixed budgetEvery detail is drawn, and you receive a line-by-line budget and a written schedule, signed by us, before work begins.
- IIIConstructionOne site manager leads your house, and each week you receive photographs, progress and costs against the budget.
- IVHandover and careA finished, clean house with complete documentation, and our continued care for anything that needs attention.
Every project is registered with BPS and every worker on your site is insured with the BSE.
HOW WE PROTECT YOU
Your house, your money and
your peace of mind, protected.
Building in a new country asks for trust, so we put every protection in writing.
Insured from the first day
All-risk construction insurance on every site and civil liability insurance, with certificates available on request.
You pay as the house rises
Each payment is tied to a finished stage, checked and approved by you before the next one is due.
A written guarantee
After handover we stand behind our work with a two-year written guarantee on finishes and installations, in addition to the protection Uruguayan law gives you for the structure.
Registered and accountable
monē is a registered Uruguayan company, registered with BPS, and every plan is signed by one of our registered architects.
Your contract, read in advance
A sample contract and budget are available before our first meeting, in your language, so you know every term before you sign.
Open building sites
Visit a monē house under construction and see for yourself how we work, how we keep a site and how we build.
MATERIALS
Lime, stone and wood,
chosen to age beautifully by the sea.
Design referenceLime plaster and tadelakt
Hand-applied lime for walls, bathrooms and showers, soft to the touch and naturally resistant to humidity.
Design referenceNatural stone
Local and imported stone for walls, floors and terraces, laid by experienced masons.
Design referenceWood and joinery
Hardwood decks, ceilings, doors and furniture made to measure for each house.
FOR OWNERS ABROAD
Your house rises on the coast
while you live in Europe.
We are your eyes and your voice on site, with a weekly video walk-through, photographic reports and costs against your budget, material samples sent or shown live, and full representation with authorities and suppliers.
monē
monēTHE ATELIER
A house deserves
the care of a life.
monē was founded by Lucia Lachkovic and Jella JR. Wojacek to build homes on this coast with the order and honesty of European construction and the warmth of natural, local materials. Our team of architects, site managers, master builders and craftsmen works under one direction, and we remain personally responsible for every house we build.
CONTACT