Project design / Arelauquen House
Type: Commission
Size: 420 m2
Location: Arelauquen, Bariloche
Status: Built
The house is built on a 3,500 m2 plot on the slope of Otto Hill, overlooking the majestic Gutierrez Lake. The unique location, coupled with an extraordinary natural beauty inspires a very deep awe. With this in mind, we sought from the beginning to intervene the site valuing this natural beauty and taking into account that the access road passes over the top of the ground, making the house totally visible from above.
The goal was to create a dialogue with the environment and not a capricious and isolated design. Thus there arose the idea of a great inclined plane, starting from the mountainside, in counter slope to the lake. From an eco friendly view point, that plane had to be planted with vegetation to replace the footprint of the house. The intention is to maintain the roof with the same indigenous, natural vegetation as the surrounding forest grounds so the house blends into the landscape seamlessly.
The program was developed in two levels. Located on the ground floor is a double height living room, dining room, guest bedroom, kitchen, laundry, mud room, employees quarters and garage. The upper level was divided into three sections, on one end the master suite, and at the other, the children’s bedrooms. Between these sections there is an intimate family room that overlooks the living room and has access to the imposing view of the lake and mountains.
The southwest face of the house, which has the tallest height, is mostly glass surface, allowing all the main rooms to have grand views of the lake. The reception area expands into the garden with stone terraces and a large wooden deck.
The earthquake resistant structure is made of reinforced concrete and has a wood structure for the roof. The walls are made of ceramic blocks and finished with pine wood boards on the outside and cypress on the inside. The low exterior walls, as the fireplace , are covered with local stone.