SUNDAY INSPIRATION #59

casa barragán
mexico city 1948

architect luis barragán
__________________

Orchid House / Pilar, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

The Orchid was a challenging project, committed by a young couple with two sons, enthusiastic about sustainable architecture. After consulting several architects, they gave the commission to Andrés Remy, who had investigated these concepts in New York at Rafael Viñoly’s Studio for four years.

Sustainability implies a lot of varieties, such as efficient and rational use of energy and water, natural ventilation and lighting, and low-environment-impact materials.

The house has the best orientation, possible thanks to the large lot.

The concept came from the client’s hobby, growing orchids. The house is based on the different parts of the orchid: the roots, the stem and the flower.

The sun rays impact in the interior of each room, were also studied, to determine the optimal depth to place the windows. This gives a unique volumetric outcome to the project. Taking advantage of sun rays in winter increases the interior temperature up to a comfortable level. The design includes glazed volumes with good thermal insulation and small windows in the worst orientation, such as the south facade.

The windows consist of aluminum frames supplied with thermal bridge breaker and double-hermetic-glass. A wide variety of insulating materials were also used, as well as water based paint and wall and roof air chambers.

In the lower floor, the convenient location of the opening windows allows natural air flow helping to decrease the humidity in the room. What’s more, the big thresholds create a good distribution of fresh air.

All this, gives account of the complexity of the house, a glass and concrete flower, designed according to a program of needs and the client’s concerns.

© by Andres Remy Arquitectos


INFORMATION

Architects: Andres Remy Arquitectos
Location: Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Project Team: Andrés Remy, Hernán Pardillos, Paula Mancini, Lucila Lopez, Julieta Rafel, Lilian Kandus, Coral Banegas
Site Area: 3,640 sqm
Project Area: 465 sqm
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Andres Remy Arquitectos

House in Huentelauquen / Punta Caracoles, IV Region (Chile)

This beach house is located on a rural setting in Huentelauquen, Chile, facing the sea from the border of a plain plateau exposed to the strong winds, 40m over the beach. The house was located along this border, sunken to disappear into the landscape, in which only 5 chimneys arise as sea lookouts.

In the floorplan, the rooms are aligned and facing the view over the sea, on a bar distanced from the retaining wall on its back, to create a sunken patio away from the wind. The living and dining rooms are open along both sides with large windows, suspended between the horizon and the excavation of the patio.

At the same time the patio, which becomes the main space of the house, opens to the horizon through the double glass wall of the living room. It is connected with the interior through the living, to the main suite through the bathroom, on one side, and to the kitchen with the services on the opposite side. The 4 rooms for children/guests are accessed through a covered exterior gallery along the patio.

Under the living and dining room, there is another living room with a terrace open to the sea, with a full view of the ocean.

















































© by Izquierdo Lehmann


INFORMATION

Architects: Izquierdo Lehmann – Luis Izquierdo W., Antonia Lehmann S.B.
Location: Punta Caracoles, IV Region, Chile
Structural Engineering: Luis Soler P. y Asociados
Services: Kenneth Page (PVT)
Constructed Area: 350 sqm
Project Year: 2005
Construction Year: 2006-2007
Main Materials: Concrete, Stone,Glass
Photographs: Izquierdo Lehman

Volume B / Sao Paulo

This project is the retail furniture store Vitra located in Sao Paulo. We used the materials in their extreme condition, such as visible concrete executed without any concern about precision or finishing, or the skin of the back volume where we used various layers of a steel frame which is usually used on the inside of the concrete slabs and were found at the site. Likewise, the interior walls did not get any special finishing and still have the original chalk markings left by the workers during the construction, almost an archeological discovery. The external floor is made of pebbles which are also used to mix concrete. Almost an x-ray of the materials.























































































© by Marcio Kogan Architects


INFORMATION

ArchitecturalAuthor:
Marcio Kogan Architects

Project Name: Volume B
Location of Site: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Principal Designer/s: Marcio Kogan
Design Team: Diana Radomysler, Oswaldo Pessano, Renata Furlanetto, Samanta Cafardo, Suzana Glogowski, Lair Reis, Carolina Castroviejo, Eduardo Glycerio, Maria Cristina Motta, Gabriel Kogan, Mariana Simas
Project Type: Retail/Furniture Store
Client: Vitra
Contractor/s: Pentagono Engenharia (General)
Site Area: 504 sq. m
Built-up Area: 250 sq. m
Date of completion: May 2007

via Estudio55