Project: DaB House
Architects: BAM! Arquitectura
Location: Belen de Escobar, Argentina
Area: 2,368 sf
Photographs by: Federico Cairoli
DaB House by BAM! Arquitectura
The DaB House is a beautiful modern dwelling located near Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a two-story residence that creates just under 2,400 square feet of living spaces. The exterior of the home features a sort of duality in its design where the lower level’s exposed concrete structure is displayed while the upper level consists of brick walls. On the inside however, the home takes on the concrete aesthetic creating a contemporary vision. It was designed by BAM! Arquitectura, a studio you might remember from our showcase of their MeMo House project.
The DaB House is conceived in a lot of limited dimensions on the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires, in a green and open environment. The main challenge of the project was to generate an architectural tour that interacts with the materials and the light in contrast with the formal search of a very compact layout to optimize the square meters.
The program has been organized on two floors. On the ground floor, the social areas are located, which have a direct relationship with the garden, therefore they connect in a comprehensive and dynamic way by means of a wooden joint that acts as a nucleus assembling the space between both levels. On the upper floor, the private areas are located, which have a relation with the terrace-garden that acts as a viewpoint and as a space for contemplation of nature.
When addressing the project, a very important aspect was the synthesis of materials with the aim of generating a sensory tour, provided by selected materials. A concrete base enables that a pure volume of bricks is placed on it. The connection between both levels is generated by a void along with a wooden nucleus. Iron, the last element, acts as a sieve to regulate the entry of light in the spaces.
The use of noble materials with its pure and simple lines enables that light and nature act as protagonists and provides us a timeless project. In this project, the light, one of the main architectural materials, was used in a direct and indirect way. Every single space has been thought out bearing in mind its natural lighting and the possibility to generate diverse atmospheres with different shades thanks to it.
The light is regulated by steel filters in the access, where the generated shades change throughout the day. In the living and dining room, imposing openings that open towards the garden enable the entry of light and a direct connection with nature. On the upper floor, a series of iron sunshades was generated to block the strongest sun of North and West.
The duality of architecture and landscape is a concept that we have taken into account when it came to generating volumes that enable its integration with the place by means of filled spaces and voids. Another decision that provides us such an approach to nature is the use of terrace-gardens and the incorporation of patios and skylights on the upper floor, where each space has a connection with it.
Sustainability has been worked out from every aspect, starting with the selection of the terrain and the implantation in it bearing in mind its orientations and predominant winds. Then, the usage of a green roof with all the benefits that it provides. Other points that were taken into account were the reduction in water consumption by using rainwater for irrigation and the usage of energy-saving appliances. Heating and cooling were provided by geothermal energy.
All the spaces were carefully thought out so that they have natural light, exterior views and cross-ventilation, therefore generating a benefit not only regarding energy but also regarding comfort for its habitation. The landscape was designed based on sustainable premises that make an important contribution to urban ecology as from the use of local species, so we built a micro-urban patch made by native plant communities.
