Commission
Paraíso house responds to a private commission for an individual house located in the neighborhood of Quinta los Nores, Cordoba, Argentina. The project began in early 2019 with a visit to the lot, where we were particularly surprised by the enormous amount of existing vegetation of great size that possessed the land. That particularly, such vegetation was located mostly on the final part of the lot, more in relation to the river la cañada, and without any order or criterion, that is to say that it formed an irregular landscape, of movement, fluid. The first reaction was to walk there, to stay under that mantle of vegetation, to perceive and feel what it transmitted. It was there where the concept of living under this blanket arose, to place the house away from the street, to take it closer to the river, and to enjoy living under this very particular and unique microclimate.
After several exchanges and back and forth with the client, who was part of the design process and exchange of ideas, the proposal was taking shape until culminating in the start of work in late 2019, beginning of 2020. Executed by Orange Civil Works, the work lasted approximately 12 months (due to a period of interruption due to the pandemic).
Insertion/location
The house is located on an irregular plot of 3600 m2, with North South orientation (North towards the river, South towards the street). In this regard, within the multiple possibilities of implantation, two possibilities were considered: the vegetation as a backdrop and curtain for the house, or living under the vegetation, rescuing that particular microclimate that is generated by being under these large canopies.
In relation to this, we chose to develop the premise of living under that natural forest of large trees (mostly Paradise type) while following the impulse of that first visit to the site. In this way, the house is located occupying the total length of the lot (respecting the regulations of 3 meters retreat from party walls on each side), and opens in its entirety with a large glass carpentry from end to end in relation to this garden, below and at the border.
The existing vegetation. In relation to the south, the house is closed with a large perimeter wall that copies the irregular shape of the vegetation site, thus generating a close relationship with a private courtyard, which is approached with a small ramp that copies the slope of the natural ground to reach a large reinforced concrete bellows-pergola - which runs from end to end of the house, as a transition between inside and outside.
A large concrete roof
Under the concept of living under a large enabling roof, that is, one that allows the function to accommodate over time to different requirements and uses, thus arises the idea of locating a large slab of 27 meters long by 8 meters that rests on 10 circular metal columns of 140 mm, which is complemented by another smaller area from a large concrete pergola, which functions both as a bellows, as a transition space between inside and outside.
Under this cover a large continuous space without limits is developed. With the premise of breaking the limits within the house, it was decided to limit the changes of uses within the same from spaces, that is, the hard cores such as kitchen, laundry and bathrooms, function as large tablets of services that at the same time fulfill the function of limiting the spaces inside. In this way, the flexibility that is perceived in the space is of an exquisite dynamic in which various functions and uses are combined in a large container space without any interruption to the other. At the same time, all the spaces have a constant connection with the exterior landscape, thus diluting the limits between inside and outside, achieving in this way a spatial continuity that extends the uses of the house.
On the other hand, the roof is also understood as a support, that is to say, as an enabler to extend the use of the ground, to give the house the possibility to inhabit it from another perspective, to allow us to be and walk among the treetops, achieving a different relationship with the landscape. For this, we propose a large accessible deck, which is accessed from a subtle circular metal staircase, which from a bridge, connects the first floor with the accessible terrace of granite. A staircase to tranquility, enjoyment and connection with nature.
An enabling wall
The large concrete cover, is linked and anchored to the ground from a large continuous stone wall which takes the slopes of the lot itself, thus reflecting that ideas arise and refer to what the context gives us. In this particular case, one of the sides of the lot has a slope, therefore, the wall lies on it, to then allow itself to copy the lines that nature itself marks, and include within the house the existing trees. This is why the wall extends outside the house itself and allows the formation of a courtyard, which recreates a landscape for contemplative, private use. That, at the same time, houses the existing vegetation and the circular staircase that connects the earth and the sky.
At the same time, this enabling wall acquires the capacity to house programs. In this way, the wall goes from being an element that separates, to being an element that contains and has a thickness. That is why, in different passages of the house, the wall acquires the capacity to be the element that frames the entrance, and then becomes a library, a storage room, a barbecue, etc.
The technique and the material
In relation to these points, the construction is consistent with the resulting space. In this way, we sought that the technique would allow us to achieve a large continuous space, without rigid limits, on the contrary, flexible. That is to say, the large concrete roof is supported by an independent structure made up of circular metallic columns, freeing the different enclosures from a dry construction, which allows the adaptability of the house in the future.
On the other hand, in relation to the material, the work is contextualized and local materials are used, that is to say, the choice is made to enhance and revalue those traditional materials/construction processes of Cordovan architecture, such as the stone pircas. An element that is frequently used to delimit areas, to generate limits/frontiers. In this case, the boundary between public and private, is worked from these same elements, reinterpreted to a domestic use. On the other hand, the relationship between technique and material is emphasized in the use of reinforced concrete, taking care of the modulations of its phenolics, the constructive resolutions to achieve different types of encounters such as the encounter between the house and the floor, or the house and the sky. In both cases, from inverted beams that are formed at the same time as the slabs to ensure the creation of the same horizontal plane, both on the ground and on the rooftop.
Team:
Architects: Agustin Lozada - Gonzalo Perrote
