Back in 2021 our client contacted our studio looking for a custom project inside a building that was beginning construction. She created a brief that showed the aesthetic of what she was looking forward to in her apartment. We can summarize it in three words: modern, minimal and precise. She also mentioned she isn't afraid of color and likes materials such as concrete, gray stone, brick, brushed steel and dark wood.
Taking all this into account and her functional requirements such as: two kitchens (one for daily living and the other for baking and entertaing), a walk-in closet with good lighting and space, two guest bedrooms, a statement staircase and a pool on the upper level to name a few. Their main goal was to live in a place where spaces flow into each other seamlessly without losing the character of each space.
One of the challenges when designing the project was the unmovable structure of the building itself, which in a way helped shape the spaces that you see in the apartment today. The concrete structure was left bare as the clients like the contrast it created with the rest of the space and how it looked alongside the poured concrete floor used through social and private spaces on the ground floor.
As the client lives half the year in London she brought with her many ideas that we tried to replicate with the materials available, such as: inox countertops for the kitchen, yellow grout for one of the bathrooms, pocket doors and a pool with graffiti design using paint.
We wanted both floors to feel part of a whole without losing its own character. To achieve these the base colors were icy white for the walls and neutral flooring (concrete on the ground floor and neutral porcelain tile on the terrace) allowing the furniture, rugs, accessories and plants to give color and character, while allowing the clients to play with the spaces thanks to the blank canvas it offered.
For the landscaping the client wanted a less is more approach and plants that were low maintenance as she lives half the year abroad. Renowned landscaper Graciela Bo and her team created this using cacti, palo borracho trees and white stones.
As architects we are constantly evolving and learning new things and materials thanks to our clients and this project is a reflection of that.
Team:
Architects: MERAKI ARQUITECTURA + DISEÑO
Other participants: Eloisa Barriocanal, Matías Barrios, Gali Krut, Macarenna Marinoni, Costanza Silvestri, Facundo Troche, Andres Riera, Paula León Ciotti
Photographers: Matías Barrios, Facundo Troche
