- Project: La Puntilla House
- Architect: M3 Arquitectos
- Location: Chile, Villarrica
- Year: 2023
- Area: 209 m2
- Photography: Chris Sepúlveda
A Compact Shed House Rooted in the Southern Chilean Landscape
Set within the lush natural surroundings of Villarrica in southern Chile, La Puntilla House by M3 Arquitectos is a contemporary interpretation of the region’s traditional shed typology. Designed as a compact two-level home, the project minimizes land impact and preserves native vegetation while offering a warm and flexible retreat for a family seeking connection with nature.
The architects’ guiding principle was restraint — to create a house that occupies lightly, lives fully, and ages gracefully within its environment.
Concept & Architectural Strategy
The project takes inspiration from the agricultural sheds that characterize rural southern Chile — simple, efficient structures adapted to the region’s demanding climate. The form of La Puntilla House emerges from this vernacular logic, reinterpreted through contemporary materials and spatial planning.
The house’s compact footprint and elevated two-storey design reduce the surface area on the ground, protecting the site’s natural ecosystem. Intermediate spaces are generated through strategic setbacks on multiple façades, responding to north winds, winter rains, and summer sunlight.
A defining gesture is the elongated roof projecting perpendicularly from the main shed, providing a covered outdoor gallery that can flexibly serve as a carport, terrace, or sheltered patio, depending on seasonal needs.
Structure & Spatial Organization
The building’s structure is composed of six steel frames, each spaced 2.4 meters apart. This modular rhythm not only defines the home’s visual language but also allows for flexible interior configurations.
The north-facing façade extends the volume to maximize solar gain and natural light, while service areas and storage are oriented toward the cooler, shaded south.
The plan is divided into distinct yet interconnected modules:
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Private Zone: Three modules with a 40° pitched roof contain the bedrooms, forming a calm retreat for the family.
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Social Zone: Two central modules open into a double-height living space, integrating the living room, dining area, kitchen, and balcony study.
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Transition Zone: A transparent curtain wall links the main interior to the barbecue terrace, blurring the boundary between inside and out.
This rhythmic composition creates a home that feels structured yet fluid, compact yet expansive — a balance of protection and openness that defines M3 Arquitectos’ regional approach.
Materiality & Atmosphere
Material choices reflect a dialogue between permanence and transformation.
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The south façade is clad in a neutral metal skin, opaque and low-maintenance, blending with the forest shadows.
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The north and west façades are covered with larch shingles, whose tones will evolve naturally with time, developing a silver-gray patina that harmonizes with the local landscape.
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White leadwood interiors bring luminosity and warmth, amplifying natural light while revealing the texture of the grain.
This restrained palette—metal, wood, and glass—reinforces the project’s connection to place and climate, while ensuring long-term durability in southern Chile’s humid conditions.
Light, Climate & Comfort
La Puntilla House is a model of passive design in a temperate-rainy climate.
By orienting its long elevation to the north, the building captures sunlight throughout the day, naturally heating the interior in winter. The deep roof overhangs and recessed volumes provide shade in summer, maintaining thermal balance year-round.
The double-height core acts as a lightwell and natural chimney, promoting cross-ventilation. Large glazed openings frame the surrounding greenery and Mount Villarrica’s distant slopes, bringing nature into daily life.
La Puntilla House by M3 Arquitectos exemplifies contextual modernism rooted in local tradition. Through a restrained palette, efficient structure, and climate-responsive design, it transforms the humble shed into a refined architectural statement — one that respects the land while enhancing family living.
Compact in footprint yet expansive in experience, it stands as a testament to architectural simplicity, environmental sensitivity, and regional identity in the Chilean landscape.
