Implemented as a means to take full advantage of space, built-in furniture has grown in popularity as well as ingenuity as designers tackle the needs and tastes of a wide range of users. It's ability to adapt and integrate into architectural spaces allows it, through a variety of configurations and materials, to fulfill various functions; however, this poses an interesting question. Is it truly the furniture that adapts to our living spaces? Could it not itself become the protagonist and creator of the spaces that we project?
Built-in sofas first appeared during the 20th century when figures like Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner, and Richard Neutra, among others, recognized their potential for generating spatial efficiency. The ultimate goal of furniture, be it tables, desks, wardrobes, or chairs, is to create cohesiveness and harmony within a space.
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Here, we highlight 10 prime examples of built-in sofas as seen in Latin American houses and demonstrate how they integrate into a space by using a variety of materials and layouts.
Pilará House / Besonias Almeida Arquitectos
- Year: 2021
- Location: Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
CJP House / ONA - Oficina Nómada de Arquitectura
- Year: 2020
- Location: Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
Itaúba House / Rocco Arquitectos
- Year: 2019
- Location: Ibiúna, Brasil
Woven House / Santiago Pradilla + Zuloark
- Year: 2019
- Location: Cundinamarca, Colombia
Mono House / Patio Estudio
- Year: 2019
- Location: Cordova, Argentina
House 81 / TAM - Guillermo Elgart
- Year: 2019
- Location: Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa Lasso / RAMA Estudio
- Year: 2019
- Location: San José, Ecuador
Cupe House / MNMA studio
- Year: 2018
- Location: Brazil
Casa Playa Escondida / SOMA Lima
- Year: 2017
- Location: Punta Negra, Peru
CASAJUVE / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
- Year: 2017
- Location: Cachagua, Chile
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 22, 2021.