Estudio Borrachia has constructed a wooden weekend home for a young family in the countryside just outside of Buenos Aires. Built on a grassy plot among trees and foliage, Casa de Madera breathes nature – indoor space is extended into outdoor terraces and wild plants will grow from its roof.
Selecting the material because of its easy indigenous availability and ease of transportation and construction, the architects used the building as a test – to create a well-designed, pre-fabricated and low-cost home that could be realised quickly. The result is a generous two-bedroom build with plenty of living space, completed in under five months without altering the surrounding eco-system.
Take an interactive tour of Casa de Madera
The design was defined by the properties of the main material – wood – which was used for the structure, cladding, division and deck. Consequently, a single-storey modular plan of connecting rooms and covered terraces was born, combining spatial efficiency with outdoor living.
Nature is part of the design itself. Cross ventilation and shady areas surrounding the house make for passive temperature regulation and with time wild fauna will grow from a bed of soil submerged within the corregations of the roof.
Casa de Madera is part of an architectural series by the Buenos Aires-based practice, titled ‘Housing Habitat’, which explores the relationship between homes and their environments. As well as commissions, the studio, led by Oscar and Alejandro Borrachia, is involved with academic research around the study of society, often collaborating with local organisations to advance their work.
Outdoor terraces are built into the design, offering the potential for further rooms to be built as the family grows
The interiors offer unparalleled access to the surrounding landscape
The design was defined by the properties of the main material – wood – which was used for the structure, cladding, division and deck
A living roof will eventually cover the home with wild flora
The architects used the building as a test – to create a well-designed, pre-fabricated, low cost home that could be realised quickly
Interiors are simple and windows offer views out onto the surrounding greenery
Casa de Madera is part of an architectural series by the Buenos Aires-based practice, titled ‘Housing Habitat’, which explores the relationship between homes and their environments
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Estudio Borrachia website
Photography: Fernando Schapochnik
-
In Shanghai, Hermès conjures a ‘cosmopolitan explorer’ for its one-off show on the Huangpu RiverNadège Vanhée, artistic director of Hermès’ womenswear collections, presented ‘The Second Chapter’ of her A/W 2025 collection earlier this evening (13 June 2025) against the futuristic skyline of Shanghai
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Peugeot brings back a classic performance badge for the electric era: meet the E-208 GTiPeugeot has unveiled the new E-208 GTi, a performance EV designed to hark back to a golden age of compact sports cars
-
Tour 18 lesser-known modernist houses in South AmericaWe swing by 18 modernist houses in South America; architectural writer and curator Adam Štěch leads the way in discovering these lesser-known gems, discussing the early 20th-century movement's ideas and principles
-
An Argentinian retreat in the forest allows nature and architecture to flowA wooded Argentinian retreat, Forest House by Gonzalo Bardach Arquitectura, blends indoors and outdoors with architectural flair
-
An idealised suburban Argentinian house caters to post-pandemic livingSocial Arquitectos has created a refined Argentinian house for a family that blends privacy with spaces for socialising
-
Playfully transparent roof defines German Glass House escapeThe Glass House by Sigurd Larsen, set amid nature outside Berlin, is an unconventional country home with a distinctive transparent roof
-
The Learning Tree nursery nurtures through sustainable architectureThe Learning Tree, a Romford nursery by Delve Architects, uses natural materials and sustainable architecture principles to nurture young minds
-
Rawlins Design breathes new life into midcentury Fire Island HouseRawlins Design respectfully remodels a midcentury gem on New York’s Fire Island, a 1969 house originally designed by architect Harry Bates
-
Escape to the country with this contemporary Polish farmhouseBXB studio head Bogusław Barnaś and his team transform a Polish farmhouse into a 21st century rural home
-
Suburban house by SPPARC surprises and delights in LondonA suburban house in leafy south London takes domestic craft to another level, courtesy of London architecture studio SPPARC
