Summer House Opens Its Pergola To The Lush Argentinian Forest
Every architectural project is the materialization of the marriage between the landscape and the particular needs of the clients. This makes each project unique. The S&S House is a family home located in Pinamar, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It was built on a sloping lot sitting in a dune and this influenced its design and structure in more than one way, dictating the structure, shape and orientation of the house.
This was a project developed by Besonias Almeida Arquitctos, a studio founded by Maria Victoria Besonias and Guillermo de Almeida, two independent professionals that influence the world with their beautiful creations since 1975. They always use the necessity of building something to push the limits of their knowledge and to find new research topics.
The dune on which the house was built has a sloped shape, featuring a gentle slope to the street and a greater one towards the bottom. The site opens to the forest and is surrounded by abundant vegetation on all sides. The architects and client agreed that this beautiful vegetation had to be preserved.
The clients had an interesting request. They wanted it to be aesthetically similar to those built in the Mar Azul forest. They also wanted it to be easy to maintain. The house was built for a family with three children that wanted to use it mostly during the summer so it had to be low-maintenance for the rest of the year.
The house was designed with a single level. It’s basically a large single volume pierced by an inner courtyard. The structure is organized in two main volumes. This type of design was chosen is response to the conditions on the site and the sloping terrain. The two zones are connected by a hallway and by a concrete pergola.
The private volume is situated at the front of the house. The clients requested a total of three bedrooms. One of them needed to have its own private bathroom as well as a dressing room. The other two were meant for the kids but also needed to be ready to receive guests if needed. All three bedrooms are connected and form a compact volume.
The second volume represents a large area designed for social activities. It integrates an open kitchen and a lounge space. The social area is placed towards the back of the house and is connected to the entrance courtyard and an extension in the form of a terrace.
The outdoor extension was designed as a means for the owners to enjoy the forest, the views and to establish a strong relationship to the outdoors in general. The concrete pergola establishes a relaxing, zen ambiance thanks to the simple design featuring wooden stepping boards on white pebbles.
The inner courtyard is a very relaxing space as well. A small tree serves as a reminder of the original state of the site. The living room is sheltered between the inner courtyard and the open terrace, with expansive views of both sides and lots of natural light entering the space.
The interior is designed with neutral and light, earthy colors. The design of the pergola would suggest the presence of polished concrete floors inside but instead the architects chose wooden boards that ensure a more welcoming and comfortable atmosphere while keeping the palette of materials and colors very simple and basic.
The seating area the kitchen share the same floor plan and receive their natural light through the sliding glass doors that frame the space on two sides. Artificial lighting is ensured by a sleek floor lamp and additional task lighting in the kitchen which is meant to highlight key features.