TEXT

The sustainable character of the project lies in the architectural decisions that reduce the energy demand required for the house’s operation. Emphasis is placed on energy savings over the building’s useful life (use and maintenance) savings that are comparatively greater than the energy embodied in materials and construction. Sustainable integration is based on the precise geometric and material configuration of the house in relation to its specific environment.

The house is located in the Pampean region, near Rosario. The first design decision establishes a compact, two-story house that minimizes both perimeter and footprint on the site. The house appears in the landscape as an object set upon the plain, a monolith whose volume is cut out against the sky.

It is positioned laterally along the shorter side of the lot, leaving as much green surface as possible. Since the lot’s geometry is rotated 45° relative to true North, the roof adopts the optimal pitch for capturing the region’s abundant solar energy, and its ridge rotates to align with the cardinal points. The house’s formal outcome is a negotiation between the logic of occupying the available lot and a roof geometry that responds to the site’s bioclimatic factors.

Starting from this primary geometry, the openings are voids carved out of the mass, determined according to the relationship between the interior rooms and the landscape. Rather than adding the classic elements of solar protection, the project operates through a subtractive strategy: the depth of the openings is calibrated to act as eaves and vertical sunshades (protecting the glazed surfaces from direct solar radiation in summer while allowing it in winter), optimizing the greenhouse effect according to the season. Natural light and cross ventilation are also ensured throughout all rooms, and notable for its size is the large opening corresponding to the house’s living area, which establishes a continuous visual relationship with the landscape while also functioning as a spacious gallery.

DISTINCTIONS

– Primer Premio. Concurso Arquitectura + Ambiente. Categoria Proyecto Arquitectónico. Colegio de Arquitectos de la Provincia de Santa fe, 2013

– Segundo Premio. Concurso Nacional de Anteproyectos. Colegio de Arquitectos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, 2010

TEAM

Diego Arraigada, Pablo Gamba (asociado), Maria José Tasada (asociada)

CONSULTANTS

Dr. Ing. Martin Arraigada

FLOOR AREA

221m2