Brutalism in pink on the Argentine mountains

A building set in the natural landscape, with essential volumes in pigmented exposed concrete and breathtaking views, is a construction that seems to have always belonged there.

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020. Photo: Federico Cairoli alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020. Photo: Federico Cairoli

alarciaferrer arquitectos, MF house, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020 model

alarciaferrer arquitectos, MF house, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020 axonometry

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020 lower level plan

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020 upper level plan

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020 A-A section

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020 B-B section

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020 C-C section

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Chiara Testoni
02 November 2021
Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina
alarciaferrer arquitectos
380 sqm
Residential
2020

In a landscape of hills, rivers and lakes which is also a popular tourist destination, Casa MF by alarciaferrer arquitectos sits delicately in the orography of the place like a buen retiro from which to enjoy the peace of its natural surroundings and escape the hustle and bustle of urban life. The building is divided into two staggered volumes designed to optimise orientation and views of the landscape. The upper volume, which houses the living area, kitchen, master bedroom, bathrooms and terrace, is projected towards the valley thanks to a cantilevered structure while the lower volume, partially set into the hillside, includes the guest bedrooms: the roof of the latter volume forms a platform for outdoor activities with a swimming pool and panoramic views of the area.

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020. Photo: Federico Cairoli

The bare, essential forms of the architecture find figurative expression in the exposed concrete, both outside and inside, which gives the complex a certain Brutalist flavour.
The choice of concrete as the dominant natural material in the composition reflects the architects' intention to ideally blend the architecture with the landscape, minimising the impact of the man-made structure on its surroundings more and more as time goes by: the pink pigmentation of the material allows the building to harmonise with the mineral hues of the surrounding mountains, while its natural wear and tear, together with the growth of vegetation, give the building the aura of an autochthonous element totally rooted in the place. The interiors, just as sober as the exteriors, are characterised by a sequence of spaces zenithally lit by skylights that generate a dramatic chiaroscuro effect on the rough walls.

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020. Photo: Federico Cairoli

A simple and strongly characterised architecture which, with just a few gestures, interprets the principle of intimate and attractive living in full balance with the context in which it is located.

MF house
alarciaferrer arquitectos
Joaquin Alarcia, Federico Ferrer Deheza
Valentina Machado, Facundo Almiron
German Sarboraria
Orange Obras Civiles
380 sqm

alarciaferrer arquitectos, Casa MF, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020. Photo: Federico Cairoli

alarciaferrer arquitectos, MF house, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020

model

alarciaferrer arquitectos, MF house, Calamuchita, Cordoba, Argentina 2020

axonometry