This low, concrete family home in Argentina’s San Carlos may appear unassuming, but upon closer inspection, its intricate floorplan and strong relationship with nature says otherwise.
A joint venture between two Buenos Aires firms – Marcelo Del Torto and Torrado Arquitectos – the house faithfully follows the clients’ brief. The owners, a family of four, were after a modern and relaxed home with plenty of outdoor space. The team duly obliged, and went on to envision the 350 sq m property with an impressive open plan layout, dotted with courtyards.
The architects’ first challenge was to place the structure appropriately on its woodland plot, dividing the interior program into two perpendicular volumes; one of them houses the public areas, and the second contains bedrooms for both children and adults, bathrooms and a playroom.
The team wanted to preserve the several ancient trees on site, which meant working the plan around the existing greenery to design the interior flow in direct response to the surrounding nature. So, when the design encountered a tree, an opening was created to accommodate it.
For example, the large central courtyard that borders the open plan living, dining, family room and kitchen also hosts a large Ceiba tree. This tree also cleverly provides shelter from the elements when the owners use the nearby outdoor clay oven and grill. Similarly, another courtyard framing an Araucaria tree sits next to the master bedroom.
The home’s series of horizontal and vertical planes feature a soft and sophisticated material palette. Three main elements stand out: concrete, which was chosen for its ability to provide structural solutions for the building; San Juan stone, selected for its beauty and hardwearing qualities; and locally sourced Lapacho wood, a long lasting material that adds warmth to the minimalist interior.
Located in the furthest corner of a gated community, the 350 sq m property is an epitome of open plan living
The clients’ brief outlined a modern home that would be relaxing and feature numerous outdoor spaces
A key challenge for the architects was deciding how to place the property without removing the mature trees on site
Their solution was to use the trees’ position to define the layout, creating openings when they encountered greenery
The result? The home contains several courtyards and openings inbetween the living spaces
The interior is divided into two perpendicular volumes; one containing the living, dining and kitchen areas, and another housing the children’s bedrooms, master bedroom and bathroom
Concrete was a key construction material, chosen for its durability as well as the structural possibilities it offers
Locally sourced Lapacho wood was also used in parts of the house, such as the kitchen area
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Marcelo Del Torto website or the Torrado Arquitectos website
-
Our Tech Editor's selection of new and upgraded audio players covers the full spectrum of formatsWhether it’s vinyl, cassette, CD or mp3, or even sound sources you’ve captured yourself, you’ll find a suitable device in this round-up of pocketable and portable audio players
-
This Swedish summer house is a family's serene retreat by the trees and the Baltic seaHorsö, a Swedish summer house by Atelier Alba is a playfully elegant retreat by the Kalmarsund Sea and a natural reserve
-
A new exhibition retraces 50 years of Pierre Paulin’s history around the table‘Les Tables de Pierre Paulin’ shows a lesser-known side of the designer’s creative world, accompanied by a new book tracing his wife’s hospitality around his iconic table designs. ‘A creator is never alone in his creation…’
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
An Argentinian retreat in the forest allows nature and architecture to flowA wooded Argentinian retreat, Forest House by Gonzalo Bardach Arquitectura, blends indoors and outdoors with architectural flair
-
Sun-drenched Los Angeles houses: modernism to minimalismFrom modernist residences to riveting renovations and new-build contemporary homes, we tour some of the finest Los Angeles houses under the Californian sun
-
All hail the power of concrete architecture‘Concrete Architecture’ surveys more than a century’s worth of the world’s most influential buildings using the material, from brutalist memorials to sculptural apartment blocks
-
Three Object Apartment embraces raw concrete honesty in the heart of AthensThree Object Apartment by DeMachinas is a raw concrete home in Athens, which confidently celebrates its modernist bones
-
Giovanni Michelucci’s dramatic concrete church in the Italian DolomitesGiovanni Michelucci’s concrete Church of Santa Maria Immacolata in the Italian Dolomites is a reverently uplifting memorial to the victims of a local disaster
-
An idealised suburban Argentinian house caters to post-pandemic livingSocial Arquitectos has created a refined Argentinian house for a family that blends privacy with spaces for socialising
-
The finest brutalist architecture in the worldFor some of the world's finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond, scroll below. Can’t get enough of brutalism? Neither can we.
