A Cabin Perched on the Rugged, Remote Chilean Coast Is Equally Extreme
Houses We Love: Every day we feature a remarkable space submitted by our community of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners.
Project Details:
Location: Tunquén, Chile
Year Built: 2020
Architects: Umberto Bonomo, Felipe Alarcón / @umbertobonomoarquitectos, @felipe.alarcon.c
Footprint: 1,883 square feet
From the Architects: "The landscape, the topography, and the climate are the defining elements for LBS House. There are two walls that protect the house—these two walls are climatic devices arranged precisely on the site to generate a constant calm inside the house. A habitable wall opposes the north wind, which is sporadic, but aggressive. The north wall encloses the bedrooms and services and stretches to generate as many panoramic views as possible. This wall is deep and complete with a continuous terrace that creates privacy for the bedrooms.
"The second wall consists of an ethereal, perforated plane. It is thin and seemingly fragile. This screen contains the outdoor patio with the pool and protects the integrated living and dining room. It sifts the light, the view, and the dominant, constant, and cold southerly wind. The open-plan living area measures approximately 538 square feet. It is integrated with the outdoor patio contained by the V-wall. The phenomenological transparency is a physical strategy that aims to multiply the space available by integrating the outdoors and the shaded interiors.
"For the construction of the walls, we used reinforced concrete blocks. The structurally resistant artificial stone is an aesthetic expression and an economic response to the construction challenges of the site. Raw matter is left exposed to climate, seismic stresses, and weather. This decision gives a monolithic appearance to the structures. The geometric and rigid response of the design is underscored by the characteristics of the topography. The house interacts with the natural landscape, generating a chromatic dialogue between textures and temperatures."
The house’s triangular form is pushed back from the edge of a cliff that overlooks the South Pacific Ocean.
A triangular courtyard marks the exterior of the home.
Views of the South Pacific are visible from the courtyard through floor-to-ceiling glazing.
The dining area connects to the terrace and outdoor dining area and the sea beyond via a massive sliding glass doors.
The open-plan kitchen and dining area features polished concrete flooring.
Wood siding on the interior contrasts with concrete, glass, and cinder block, lending warmth and texture.
The architects arranged the kitchen and living area on the home’s ground floor.
The bedrooms, located on the upper level, also look to views of the ocean.
Panoramic vistas of the natural landscape inspired the architects’ design for the home.
Published
Get the Dwell Newsletter
Be the first to see our latest home tours, design news, and more.