Chilean Patagonia: a house by the lake

Along the Carretera Austral on the shores of Lake General Carrera the Chilean studio SAA has designed a house built with prefabricated elements and covered with an outer shell of wood, typical of the local building tradition. 

The landscape of the Aysen region of Chilean Patagonia is characterised by a wild and uncontaminated nature not used to the presence of man.
The task was to design a single-family house capable of meeting the needs of the site: isolation, difficulty in finding materials and labour.

The Chilean studio SAA arquitectura + territorio opts for a house designed with industrial and prefabricated materials - a load bearing structure of steel pillars, beams and windows and insulated structural panels - which will be built during a five-month assembly process.

Two north-east oriented longitudinal bodies suspended on steel feet directly anchored to the rock are placed on the slope of the hill descending to the lake.
The volume closest to the lake hosts the living area and extends northwards sorrounded by a terrace, receiving natural light on three sides. The second volume projecting southwards welcomes a long corridor that looks towards the lake and serves the bedrooms.
The two volumes are internally wrapped in a continuous wooden casing and meet and separate through a sliding wall.

Externally clad in native wood shingles in accordance with the local building tradition, the house absorbs the light and colours of the lake and becomes integral part of the landscape.

Latest on Architecture

Latest on Domus

Read more
China Germany India Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Sri Lanka Korea icon-camera close icon-comments icon-down-sm icon-download icon-facebook icon-heart icon-heart icon-next-sm icon-next icon-pinterest icon-play icon-plus icon-prev-sm icon-prev Search icon-twitter icon-views icon-instagram