- Project: Grid House
- Architect: VA arquitectos
- Location: Argentina, La Plata, Buenos Aires Province
- Year: 2023
- Area: 104 m2
- Photography: Luis Barandiarán
Context & Concept
Grid House arises as part of a trio of residences commissioned within a newly developing urban neighbourhood on the outskirts of La Plata.
Estudio VA arquitectos frame the design around two primary ideas: solid volumes and the interplay of “grid-bricks” that open to light and air. As described by the architects:
“The morphology of this house is based on solid volumes where the bricks form a grid that breaks apart in certain places and allows the passage of light. The horizontality of the concrete acts as a hinge between the brickwork and the roof.”
This foundational concept anchors the house within its urban lot while creating a rich texture of light, shadow and materiality.
Architecture & Spatial Organisation
The building presents a compact 104 m² footprint yet achieves a spatial richness through its manipulation of solid/void and patios. Key organisational strategies include:
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Brick grid façade: The brickwork is treated expressively—at times dense and monolithic, at others fragmented to let in light and blur the indoor-outdoor threshold.
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Concrete horizontal band: A concrete element runs horizontally, acting as a “hinge” between the heavy brick volumes and the roof—a gesture that visually and structurally anchors the building.
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Play of inclinations & light capture: The house tilts and angles to prioritise access and to capture north-western light—an important orientation decision to maximise brightness in main areas.
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Patios typology: Internally, different types of patios respond to different uses—each major space framed by its own exterior void, allowing natural ventilation, daylight, and a stronger connection to outdoors.
Materiality & Atmosphere
The material strategy emphasises tactility, structure and light:
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Exposed brickwork: The brick grid is both structural and aesthetic, providing warmth, texture and a rhythmic façade.
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Concrete beams/slabs: The concrete elements add weight, durability and visual contrast to the brick.
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Strategic openings: The fragmentation of the grid allows light to filter in, shadows to articulate volumes, and spaces to breathe.
Together, these materials create an atmosphere of grounded solidity and airy translucence—an architecture that is robust yet permeable.
Why It Matters
For a journalist covering contemporary Latin American residential architecture, Grid House offers several salient points:
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It demonstrates how modest area (104 m²) need not limit richness in experience—through thoughtful design of light, material and voids.
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It reveals how architects can negotiate new urban edges (in this case outskirts of La Plata) in a way that contributes quality rather than mere volume.
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It shows how the brick grid façade becomes more than a decorative surface—it’s a structural and spatial strategy that addresses climate, context and human scale.
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It aligns with the broader trend of architecture that is economical, material-honest and context-sensitive, rather than over-the-top formalism.
