TEXT

The last foothills of the Sierras Chicas descend gently toward the Ascochinga River, and beyond it, the plain covered with native vegetation begins.

The site is both intimate and spacious; a privileged place where these three conditions—mountain, river, and forest—converge and condense, creating a unique landscape. The topography descends serenely like a vast meadow, and as you approach the river, you find a wooded area of ​​shade and water.

The first gesture of the project is to celebrate the act of descending to the river. It is to recognize, implicit in the site, a path that winds down from the large stones of an irrigation ditch to the small beach between the trees.

Just as the site becomes the path, the path becomes the house. Beyond the garage pavilion, the house appears parallel to the path, following its linearity and gentle downward slope. It subtly recalls the traditional and wise way in which the ancient stone walls of the region understood and related to the landscape. The house thus develops within this wide, robust, and inhabited stone wall, linear in plan but organic in section.

The layout of the spaces is conceived as a succession of simple, functional spaces on one floor, one following the other, also evoking old country buildings. Access is through an open-air hallway in the middle, which divides two distinct areas by use: a main one, with a large social space consisting of a kitchen, dining room, and living room, and the master bedroom suite; a guest area, with two additional bedrooms, a private living room, and an utility area with a utility patio.

Each interior space is differentiated from the next by a step, in a subtle cascade of spaces that brings the tranquil descent of the land toward the river into the house.

While certain aspects of the house evoke familiar and traditional elements, its aesthetic sensibility is absolutely contemporary. The careful balance between solids and voids, the geometric elegance of the wall, floor, and ceiling plans, the adoption of neutral and continuous finishes, and the minimalist details in baseboards, fittings, and openings reinforce its contemporary and sophisticated character.

When these large windows are open, the glass disappears completely into the wall, allowing outside air to flood the house, transforming each room into an interior gallery.

To the north, the windows frame the sloping meadow that descends from the old ranch house; from which some trees and the old mill can be seen. To the south, the riverbank and the native forest beyond are framed.

Upon exiting again, you can rejoin the path that continues to the forest and the beach, or stay on the terrace, a balcony suspended over the river and the trees. The wide, black wooden veranda is located there, close to the house but in close contact with nature, with a grill and the pool, where you can enjoy barbecues and long after-dinner conversations.

The architecture only intensifies the richness that the place offers. The house finds its character and beauty in this.

TEAM

Diego Arraigada, Sofia Rothman (Directora de Proyecto), Paula Pasquinelli, Manuel Ventura, Manuel Bianchi, Facundo Spina.

DEVELOPER

Bonnart

CONSULTANTS

Interior Desing: Julieta Scarafia Landscaping: Ernestina Anchorena

PHOTOS

Rompecabezas Producciones