Pezo von Ellrichshausen's Guna House stakes a fearless claim on one of Chile's leafy lagoons
Boldly stating its presence among the site's mature, dark eucalyptus trees, this new house by acclaimed Concepción-based practice Pezo von Ellrichshausen stands proud on the banks of the Llacolen lagoon in the popular Chilean commune of San Pedro de la Paz.
Take an interactive tour of Guna House
'In architecture there is an eternal tension between context and object' explain the firm's partners Mauricio Pezo and Sofía von Ellrichshausen. Guna House draws on this balance, and provides a worthy addition to the practice's growing portfolio. Composed as a single, strongly geometric volume, the house dramatically stakes a claim to its surroundings.
The clients - a family of five - approached the architects with a challenging brief: they were after a horizontal living arrangement within a plot with distinct sloped topography. The team's solution was to divide the house into two clear sections in order to minimise level changes. An 8.5m square base on the ground floor accommodates services and a quincho (a Chilean barbecue place).
Above, this footprint becomes a central patio, framed by a second 20 sq m area, within which lies the main house, including living spaces, kitchen, dining and bedrooms, all on the same floor. This layout is dynamic, rooting the design into its site, while also avoiding an obvious front-back floor plan orientated towards the water, which is typical of the area.
Formed by cast in-situ concrete, the monolithic cube was dyed with black pigment to mitigate the project's presence within the nature and camouflage it against the dark trees. The house appears bold externally, but inside it softens. A grid of overhead openings subtly filters vertical light throughout. The shell is clad internally in softwood, painted a light grey. The windows slip and disappear into the walls, inviting the surroundings in and opening up the house's concrete mass.
Powerful but at the same time understated in its simplicity, Guna House is a clever composition that is typical of Pezo von Ellrichshausen's work - the pair has been behind many a striking home within the country's architecturally rich landscape. This design underlines their skill and vision, which rightfully marks them as one of the country's leading contemporary practices.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Fernando Jorge’s fluid diamond earrings show his curve appeal
Discover Brazilian jewellery designer Fernando Jorge's snake-like silhouettes and graphic shapes
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Abreham Brioschi debuts Ethiopia-inspired rugs for Nodus
Abreham Brioschi teams up with luxury rug experts Nodus to translate visions from his heritage into a tactile reality
By Ifeoluwa Adedeji Published
-
Five compact DAB radios that combine broadcast content with visual brio
The latest DAB radios – countertop and bedside broadcast companions – for those who like their devices to be standalone and visually simple
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Giovanni Michelucci’s dramatic concrete church in the Italian Dolomites
Giovanni Michelucci’s concrete Church of Santa Maria Immacolata in the Italian Dolomites is a reverently uplifting memorial to the victims of a local disaster
By Jonathan Glancey Published
-
The finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond
For some of the world's finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond, scroll below. Can’t get enough of brutalism? Neither can we.
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The Wonder Cabinet fosters creativity in Bethlehem
The Wonder Cabinet in Bethlehem, Palestine is a not-for-profit production and cultural hub for creativity in the region
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Pa.te.os hotel in Portugal is a concrete love affair with Alentejo
Pa.te.os hotel by Aires Mateus is set in the Alentejo landscape in Portugal and celebrates the blend of concrete and nature
By Jessica Rose Last updated
-
Luna House is a concrete Chilean live/work haven by Pezo von Ellrichshausen
Pezo von Ellrichshausen invites us inside Luna, the studio's base, a geometric concrete masterpiece in the Chilean countryside
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Canberra’s concrete column cluster pavilion by Molonglo and Pezo von Ellrichshausen
Developer Molonglo and architects Pezo von Ellrichshausen are behind the Less pavilion at Dairy Road, Canberra
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
This Portuguese farmhouse takes its cues from its natural surrounds
NaMora House is a Portuguese farmhouse by architects Filipe Pina and David Bilo that opens a dialogue with its leafy surrounds
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
A concrete Melbourne home centred on nature and mindfulness
Canopy House by Powell & Glenn is a Melbourne house built around mindfulness and a passion for open-air, concrete South American architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated