Project: N House
Architects: A3 Luppi Ugalde Winter
Location: Belen de Escobar, Argentina
Area: 3,369 sf
Photographs by: Albano Garcia
N House by A3 Luppi Ugalde Winter
A3 Luppi Ugalde Winter have completed the N House in Belen de Escobar, Argentina. This contemporary dwelling offers just under 3,500 square feet of wonderful living spaces characterized by exposed concrete and wood details. The main aspect of the design of this home is the indoor-outdoor living, biased more towards the outdoors.
This house was born with the aim of being a place to be outdoors. The fundamental characteristic of the neighborhood was its flood condition, being part of the Paraná river delta, this meant the need to raise it. With these conditions and being a land bounded in dimensions, the challenge was to have the largest amount of space on the ground floor for social areas. The existence of a waterway in the background generated the premise of guiding the main visuals in that regard.
A gallery house
Following these guidelines, arises the idea of generating a house-gallery whose views are open to water and public activities take over the ground floor. This gallery is the main space. The pool is a transparent plane and the two side stairs complete the set and connect the object with the ground. The house rests on the landscape.
Nature of the structure. Defying gravity
“According to the dictionary, gravity is the natural phenomenon by which objects with mass are attracted to each other”. A monolithic piece of concrete that floats. The house seems to emerge from nature in an attempt to capture the landscape and make it it’s own. The intention was to form a set that merged in a single concept the structure, the program, and the materiality, a system where the components merge but each one retains its internal logic. The structural concept is based on the arrangement of two partitions and a large beam from which the upper floor hangs. The sloping roof slab behaves like a link.
These elements open and close, are opaque or perforated in response to functional needs while emphasizing the visuals and direction of the routes.These elements open and close, are opaque or perforated in response to functional needs while emphasizing the visuals and direction of the routes. As for the materiality, the texture is given by the design of the formwork of brushed boards, which in the diversity of edges provides a play of light and shadow. The whole model allows appreciating the concrete without losing sight of the presence of the wood grain.
Spatial / functional organization
The house is divided into programmatic areas. The ground floor is a single space that crosses the land from the street to the water. The living room and the kitchen together with the gallery form a single piece. The service sector complements the main areas through the lateral corridor. On the upper floor the bedrooms are developed, a system of aligned rooms, overlooking the water.
“My house is my refuge, an emotional piece of architecture, not a cold piece of convenience” Luis Barragan
N House is the combination of structure, architecture, and materiality, understanding that the finished object is important if it transcends its specific function to become an event both for those who contemplate it and for those who live in it.
