Casa BAB is a group of four urban patio houses developed across adjoining 10 × 20 metre plots in San Rafael, Mendoza. Rather than treating each residence as an independent object, atelier industrial established a common architectural and construction system that accommodates different ways of living through variation within a repeated framework. A limited material palette supports this approach.
Concrete columns and beams, prefabricated slabs, and brick walls form the primary construction system. Brick is a familiar and locally available material in inland Argentina, where established brick-making traditions remain part of regional construction practice. Locally sourced stone further connects the buildings to regional material resources, reducing transportation requirements.
Courtyards for light and air
Each house is organised around three outdoor spaces. A front courtyard extends domestic activity towards the street and accommodates parking and services. An intermediate courtyard forms a more private centre, while a roof terrace provides additional outdoor living space with views towards the Andes. These voids also bring daylight and cross-ventilation into the interiors. The stairwell functions as a vertical ventilation shaft, allowing warm air to rise towards upper openings and supporting passive heat removal through the stack effect.
Responding to a dry climate
Solar control is particularly important in San Rafael’s dry climate. The western façades are predominantly closed, limiting openings exposed to intense afternoon sun and reducing solar gains. A double-wall envelope incorporating an air cavity and thermal insulation further moderates heat transfer through the building fabric. Together with shaded intermediate spaces, cross-ventilation, and stack ventilation, these measures support passive cooling.
Casa BAB combines passive environmental measures with robust materials and construction techniques. Repetition allows the same structural and material logic to accommodate four different homes.
