Casa La Perouse / elton_léniz – 【Architectural CAD Drawings】

Architects: elton_léniz
Location: Santiago, Chile
Lead Architects: Mirene Elton, Mauricio Léniz, Rodrigo Fernández
Photographs: Marcos Mendizabal

Structural Engineering: Manuel José Ruiz
Constructor: Jorge Carrasco
Technical Consultant: Rodrigo Contreras
Landscape Design: Inés Couve
Energetic Consultant: Rodrigo Tonda
Lighting Design: Interdesign, Paula Martinez

Text description provided by the architects. This new urban house is inserted into a neighborhood of mid 50’s modern architecture houses in Santiago. An urban area that is distinguished by large sites, aged trees and spectacular views to the surrounding mountains. The main aim of the project is to construct a compact and rough architecture that accommodates contemporary life, but at the same time safeguard the memory of the urban context, emphasizing the material dialogue and space relationships with the existing types of the old modern houses of the context.

Conceive as a robust volume divided into three levels, this house is organized around a central double height hall with a skylight and a native wooden stair that connects all the three levels. In the ground level, all the public spaces are connected through a series of wooden sliding walls that allows dividing the interior spaces depending on the family needs. Bedrooms are located in the second level with framed views to the surrounding landscape, a series of metal sliding panels work as a flexible skin ensuring privacy and solar control.

The basement functions principally as a space for storage, wine cellars and a multipurpose bedroom that is connected with a buried patio. Before the construction and old existing dwelling was carefully demolished, preserving many of the valuable materials and the principal trees of the garden. Native Alerce wood was preserved and used in the design of sliding doors and a 6 meters height wall that functions as a visual element and acoustic absorber in the main hall.

The exterior materials were selected to aged dramatically and show in the facades the effect of time. The second level is totally clad with grey wood, whilst for the first level concrete walls, oblique pillars, black walls and stone terraces were selected to contrast with the garden and the natural landscape of Santiago. Finally, white brick is used in the perimeters walls of the site dialoguing with the materials of the existing architecture of the neighboring modern houses.