All architecture begins with a decision. At Casa Álamos, that decision was to create a boundary toward the city in order to open up completely to the landscape.
Located in Pinamar, on the coast of the province of Buenos Aires, the house is set within a landscape where planted forests, sand dunes, and the proximity of the sea come together to form a constantly changing environment. In this context, the project recognizes that architecture should not impose itself on the site, but rather reveal its inherent qualities.
The house is situated on a lot with the region’s characteristic topography, incorporating the natural elevation changes as part of the design. The site layout follows a precise strategy: to establish a contained facade facing Álamos Avenue, preserving the home’s privacy, and to fully open it up toward the north, where light, the garden, and the forest shape daily life.
This decision goes beyond mere orientation or views. It defines the way of living. The architecture creates a refuge that filters contact with the street while simultaneously establishing a permanent relationship with the landscape. The interior spaces extend outward through galleries, open areas, and large glazed surfaces, where the boundary between the house and nature is deliberately blurred.
The choice of materials supports this pursuit through a philosophy of durability and architectural integrity. In a coastal environment exposed to humidity, salinity, and the passage of time, the design team opted for a limited palette of high-quality, low-maintenance materials. Exposed concrete provides mass and permanence; local stone connects the building to its geography; glass disappears as a boundary to allow light and the landscape to become part of the architecture.
Every design decision responds to the same underlying idea. The site selection, orientation, structure, and materials do not appear as independent elements, but rather as parts of a single system capable of creating a serene, precise, and timeless way of living.
Casa Álamos does not seek to become a dominant feature within the landscape. It seeks to belong to it. It understands that architecture acquires meaning when it is able to establish a balance between nature, light, and time, allowing the place itself to complete the work.
Team:
Architectural Firm: En obra arquitectos
Team: Rosario Hillebrand, Luis Cisneros, Eugenia Sosa Abad
Structural Engineer: Juan Pablo Busti
Photographs: Mariano Imperial
