House 144º

Vivienda unifamiliar aislada

When building in a complex and fragile environment such as a forested hillside, certain questions inevitably arise: How can we settle into sloping terrain without altering the landscape? Most of the neighbouring houses seek to occupy as much surface as possible, altering the landscape to the greatest extent. We reject the hypocrisy of a continuous aesthetic of white walls that conceals concrete structures, extensive earthworks, and forced air-conditioning.

The house is developed on a single floor positioned halfway up the site and supported by a lightweight steel structure. In plan, the house traces a broken line forming an angle of 144º, with its cantilevered end oriented towards the mountain views.

It is a dry construction with a sincere construction logic that is respectful of the environment. The house is a nearly zero-energy building that combines less conventional materials, such as steel sheet, with highly efficient ones, such as timber.

The main structure consists of prefabricated timber wall panels manufactured in a workshop and assembled on site together with a lightweight floor structure made of timber beams. The house is embedded into the terrain at one end, while at the other it cantilevers out, supported by four galvanised steel columns, stiffened with X-bracing to reduce their section. An envelope of galvanised steel sheet protects the timber structure. The windows cut into the façade as large frameless openings that dematerialise the house when viewed from outside.

In contrast to its exterior appearance, the interior is warm: the timber structure is left exposed and defines simple, clear spaces. The living room projects out over the landscape, while at the opposite end is the workshop, located in the basement and illuminated from above.