Innovation in materials and construction systems has been a significant theme in 2023, and BASE Studio has decided to surprise us with a new material configuration that showcases the mechanical and aesthetic capabilities of Colihue. Alongside this proposal, innovative ideas for habitable projects have been generated, setting them apart from others through a distinctive spatial morphology created within a rigid perimeter of arches that inscribe a paraboloidal surface.
The following description was sent by the authors of the text.
Colihue (from Mapudungun kuliw), with the scientific name Chusquea culeou, is a native species from southern Chile and Argentina, which grows as a weed and captures forty times more CO2 than species like the insignis pine.
Colihue Nest is a mid-tech material system that seeks to highlight and account for the constructive, structural, and aesthetic capabilities of colihue cane for the construction of spaces with identity, accessibility, and sustainability.
Based on a hybrid exploration using physical and digital models, we calculated, demonstrated, and tested colihue's physical and mechanical capabilities. This process led us to reconsider its scale and its conventional role as a purely decorative material, expanding its potential to offer a wider range of structural, technical, and spatial possibilities. Colihue emerges as a ductile and versatile material capable of serving as both structure and envelope, skin and bones simultaneously.
The developed system follows a material aggregation logic that enables the construction of livable structures and envelopes. These are formed within a sturdy framework of catenary arches, shaping a paraboloidal surface known as a grid shell. The interior of this three-dimensional grid is covered with a fabric made of laminated colihue. It's arranged in what appears to be a random pattern, creating varying levels of density, opacity, and shadow.
The overall geometry functions much like a nest, forming a framework of elements without any hierarchy. It gains rigidity and structural integrity by combining discrete elements. Similar to a nest, the colihue framework allows the wind to pass through it. The structure adapts to dissipate dynamic forces from the wind rather than resisting it, making it permeable and flexible.
The system includes various typological applications that can be constructed according to specific needs and scales. Each typology serves as a structured framework for action, encouraging co-construction and collaborative efforts among individuals. Construction and assembly processes have been simplified and translated into a step-by-step guide, making it more accessible for communities involved in the execution. This approach also enhances the system's transferability and potential for replication.
The findings of this research, along with the construction plans for COLIHUE NEST, are openly shared and provided free of charge. The aim is to raise awareness, distribute, and encourage the utilization of colihue's construction, spatial, and identity potentials in the context of a novel mid-tech architecture.
Architects: Bárbara Barreda, Felipe Sepúlveda (BASE studio)
Associated Architect: Rodrigo Del Campo
Collaborators: Catalina Ellena, Ignacio Salinas
Location: Frutillar, Chile
Surface: 90m2
Funding: FONDART - Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage - Government of Chile.
