Imagining a House in Relation to a Tree
We envisioned a house in connection with a tree, the central element to which we decided to pay tribute.
The program was designed in relation to this tree and other interlinked courtyards.
We conceived white walls to provide a sense of silence and a pause from the surrounding context.
We proposed a large triple-height space beneath a sloped roof, oriented towards the only window facing the street, which also frames the sky.
Located in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Córdoba, Argentina, the project was commissioned by a young family seeking to establish their residence in the city. Inserted within an urban-rural fabric, the proposal ensures a strong connection between interior architecture and the surrounding landscape.
Responding to this context, the house is positioned detached from its party walls, allowing for a free perimeter on all four sides, enabling it to be experienced and appreciated in its entirety.
Designed as a single-story dwelling to establish a direct connection between all spaces and the surrounding greenery, the proposal generates different types of courtyards, each corresponding to the specific activities within the home.
A compact implantation strategy is proposed, consisting of two 5 x 10-meter bars that shift against each other, creating a sequence of distinct courtyards: the entrance and social courtyard, embraced by walls that incorporate the site’s native vegetation, the intermediate courtyard, connecting both volumes, the private courtyard, corresponding to a bedroom and, an open courtyard with an extended visual connection to an open landscape.
To achieve this, two independent volumes were proposed, one dedicated to social and collective living and the other dedicated to private and individual spaces.
The social volume, with a prismatic morphology and a double-height sloped roof, expands the space and opens onto a contemplative courtyard, where walls and neighboring structures embrace the site’s native vegetation. The transition between the street and the interior is marked by white walls that guide movement from outside to inside, leading through various spatial sequences to a singular double-height space that gathers everyday collective activities.
The connection between the public and private volumes occurs through a central courtyard—an essential contemplative and visual space that brings in light and air. This small courtyard plays a key role in both separating and unifying the two spaces, serving as a transition between public and private realms while reinforcing the interplay between interior and exterior.
Lastly, the bedrooms and bathrooms are housed in the second volume, which features flat roofs. Each private space is linked to a unique outdoor setting, providing distinct private connections to the external environment.
With its white walls, the house was designed as a volumetric entity that maximizes natural light and connection to the outdoors. The perforations made throughout the structure were carefully studied in relation to interior-exterior interaction and the spatial requirements of each area.
Inspired by traditional villa typologies, where white walls merge with lush gardens and the roof defines the architectural character, the house incorporates a sloped roof in the social volume, clad in red vault tiles that visually correspond with the ground-floor paving.
This composition of pure and simple geometric forms, shaped by the movement of the sun, enhances the connection with the surroundings while ensuring a serene and austere interior atmosphere. The house’s external image is equally defined by this interplay of light, shadow, and materiality.
Spatial design was a fundamental aspect of this project, ensuring that the built surface delivers a profound sensory experience.
