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Architects: Armando Montero
- Area: 190 m²
- Year: 2016
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Manufacturers: Dagoberto Sandoval, Humberto Vargas, Raul Ojeda
Text description provided by the architects. In early 20th century, the spontaneous colonization of the Aysén region in Chilean Patagonia generated an anonymous architecture of carpenters. They built hundreds of cabins and barns: small and primitive machines to inhabit. This house continues the search for functional forms of construction in the region, where efficiency must guide every step of the process.
The house is located to the East of the central axis of the Patagonian Andes. The house faces North, with views towards the East, North and West, which allows for the sun to illuminate and keep warm the interiors throughout the day.
For the construction, we exclusively used native wood from local loggers with sustainable extraction plans. The structure of walls, beams and roof is made of Coigüe, while the inner lining is of Lenga.
For the outer covering tile, we used Coigüe and Cypress. The foundation structure is made of reinforced concrete. The wooden beams in the floor and roof structure are in a single piece.
The first level has a large main space with openings to the North, East and West with an open view of the Coyhaique Valley. The North-facing terrace, its walls and the eaves of the roof, frame a box of 12 x 5.6 meters. To the South are the functional programs: access, library, staircase, bathrooms, loggia, greenhouse. The second level has bedrooms to the North, and bathrooms and circulations to the South.
The roof structure contains a third level with a multipurpose room.
Due to its location, the house functions as a meteorological and solar observatory. It is possible to witness the bad weather fronts crossing over the Patagonian Andes, dissolve into clouds and disappear in the Argentine pampa. The sun passes on the other direction, marking equinoxes favorably on the facade.
