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Architects: Diez + Muller Arquitectos
- Area: 570 m²
- Year: 2022
Text description provided by the architects. The Fragmento House is located on a plot of land in the Cumbayá Valley. It is interesting that this property has two fronts, one facing the main road and the other facing a return spoon. Between these two streets, there is a significant difference in elevation of approximately 9 meters.
Similarly, the orientation of the land towards the roads and the views is West, which requires a careful response to solar and thermal control. The development of the project starts as a section exercise. The simplicity in the resolution of the floors seeks clarity, however, the complexity of the solution lies in the section and how the house responds to the strong differences in elevation.
The house seeks to open up and connect to the street visually and physically. Through pedestrian entrances from both streets, the house acts as a connector between them through ramps and stairs that allow the user to move vertically through the volume. Although the house functions on two floors, the main entrance is uncommon and is located on the upper floor, which requires going down one floor to reach the social areas of the house. This is accessed through the upper street and through an inclined bridge that leads to an elevated square that overlooks the view and separates the two main volumes of the house. The two volumes on the upper floor contain the bedroom areas on one side and a guest suite on the other.
Once inside, a staircase that is articulated and illuminated by an adjacent patio connects to the lower level of social areas, a porch, and a main garden. The main living room is half-height and is located below the guest suite. This requires the suite to be half a floor higher than the square and further separates the guests from the rest of the house. The last level is the parking level, which is on the lower street, and it reveals the true topographical difference as it corresponds to the main volume, which is three stories high at this point. From this level, there is also an independent staircase for the lower pedestrian entrance to the house, which allows a direct connection to the social areas.
Solar control is achieved through deep and controlled openings and cantilevered spaces that create shade for the interior areas. The porch area, which is the most used, is oriented north-south to minimize the afternoon sun. Landscaping and vegetation are also important aspects to refresh the different environments and connect the architecture with nature. While the main garden is a more regular and recreational area, the rest of the outdoor areas were left with their natural slope, reinforcing the idea of the house as a volume embedded in the land.
Finally, materiality plays an important role not only in the concept of the house but also in technical aspects. The two monolithic and prismatic volumes are intended to be read as two abstract rocks in the landscape, and this is also achieved with exposed concrete as the main material of the house. It has a texture that becomes palpable and connected to the senses when approached. As for thermal control, the concrete skin also functions as an insulator that provides greater comfort indoors.
