A snake nodding to the horizon makes for an unlikely inspiration for this Chilean house
Casa Asomada by Whale! negotiates a windy site and uneven terrain to propose a Chilean holiday home that embraces the elements
The dark form of this new Chilean house idyllically peeks out over green foliage that moves with the sea breeze in this clifftop location in Tunquén on the country's coast. The home, titled Casa Asomada and designed by local studio Whale! (a 2018 Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory participant), makes the most of its wooded site and the fresh, salty air it brings, offering long views of the Pacific Ocean.
Tour the new Chilean house, Casa Asomada by Whale!
The structure may appear small from a distance, set against the vastness of the blue waters beyond and the remote, sparsely built location of its site. Yet this is a generous vacation house occupying a comfortable 255 sq m. The home is made up of two main volumes, interlocking and forming a single shape that helps negotiate the steep terrain of the plot.
Through the main entrance, the first volume contains all the principal shared spaces – kitchen, living room and dining room. Off them is located a guest bedroom. These communal areas lead to a courtyard, enclosed and protected from the elements by concrete walls. It incorporates a barbecue and storage.
The second volume contains this Chilean house's private areas. Two bedrooms for the children are on the lower level, and a primary en suite bedroom for the parents is above. A shared bathroom is also nearby.
The seed of its design concept is the archetypal form of a snake – coiling and rising its head to look into the distance, the architects explain.
'The house is conceived through a single gesture that articulates two distinct ways of relating to the territory. On the one hand, it retreats into the landscape, using the rock as shelter and protection. On the other, it emerges to look beyond, seeking to grasp the depth of the horizon.'
'Despite its apparent complexity, the plan – an architectural synthesis of the site's changes in level and its regulatory boundaries – is softened by a continuous roof that gently envelops the entire gesture. In doing so, the project becomes a single, quiet body: one that retreats, emerges and cautiously raises its head to look beyond and confirm what lies ahead,' the architects conclude.
