Bare and essential volumes, straightforward and durable materials, a passionate dialogue with nature: this house by Equipo de Arquitectura in Asunción, Paraguay, effectively interprets the principles of Tropical Brutalism, bringing them up to date with a contemporary sensitivity for environmental well-being.
The building is located in the centre of a traditional 12 metre x 30 metre plot of the capital. The simple and functional rectangular layout, distributed on two levels, features on the ground floor a sequence of communal spaces and, on the upper floor, the private rooms (the three bedrooms, the bathrooms, the study and the gym).
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Following in the footsteps of Paulo Mendes da Rocha and his enthusiastic relationship with vegetation, the architectural space interfaces incessantly with nature: in the south-west garden, overlooked by the main living areas, in the full-height central courtyard and in the courtyard at the north-eastern end, bringing natural light inside and guaranteeing cooling by cross-ventilation flows. On the street front, the brick screen wall shields the light and protects the privacy of the dwelling, acting as a support for the climbing plants that in time will become an integral part of the architecture.
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On the upper floor, the air chamber between the wooden ceiling and the thermo-acoustic sheet metal roof mitigates the incidence of solar radiation in the house.
In the interior, the perimetral load-bearing structure frees the space from all visual interruptions. A symphony of sincere and timeless materials (from the semi-compressed brick of the walls, to the cement of the floors and ceilings, to the wood of furnishings and finishes) give the rooms a rough, robust aura that sets to gracefully register the patina of time.
- Project team:
- Viviana Pozzoli, Horacio Cherniavsky, Gabriela Ocampos, Patricio Duarte, Gabriela Roura, Juan Corvalán
- Landscape architecture:
- El Arenero