Casalema House / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos

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As is usual in our works, the main material used is exposed concrete with the addition of titanium dioxide, which serves the dual purpose of whitening the concrete and, like trees, helping to eliminate toxic gases produced by cars. The second material used is wood, which helps the house blend into the essentially natural environment, establishing a dialogue with the wonderful landscape. Doors and windows are also made of cedar wood. In addition to the choice of materials, the sustainable proposal is as basic as it is efficient, based on the orientation of the house and a series of light courtyards that allow for natural cross ventilation and bathe the circulation areas and interior spaces with vertical and diagonal light. Thus, the house also manifests itself with simplicity in its interiors, using noble and austere materials and furniture in order to enhance the described atmosphere.A project selected as one of the five finalists in the Single Family Residential category of the PIPA (Porcelanosa International Project Award) Chile, presented by architect Gonzalo Mardones and designer Vicky Chá, the CASALEMA project is located in the foothills of Santiago de Chile, in front of a natural park. "The house was designed to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, respecting the existing trees and the quiet atmosphere. The interior and exterior, including the furniture and color palette, were carefully selected to harmonize with the natural environment.The house is accessed from the upper part, adapting to the slope through a series of "levitating" shapes, allowing for the incorporation of water courtyards with local stones and suspended volumes that frame the best views of the hills. This way, the house maintains its introversion towards the street while opening the social area and bedrooms towards the best views of the park and the golf course, through a series of terraces - visible concrete strips - that are the protagonists of the volumetric composition. The barbecue area is partially underground to emerge at garden level, harmonizing with the ravine and the park with ground cover and native trees typical of the foothills.The entrance is located at the top and the house adapts to the slope through levitating structures that incorporate water patios and suspended volumes, framing the best views of the hills. This design ensures the privacy of the house towards the street, while the social area and rooms open towards the park and the golf course through terraces that dominate the volumetric composition. The sustainable proposal includes exposed concrete with titanium dioxide to eliminate toxic gases produced by automobiles, and wood as a secondary material to blend in with the natural surroundings. Light courtyards allow for natural cross ventilation and bathe the interior in natural light."Text description provided by the architects.The CASALEMA is located on a sloping terrain in Valle Escondido, on the foothills of the Andes, in the Chilean capital, facing a natural park. In this landscape, the premise was to delicately insert the structure while respecting the trees and the atmosphere of serenity that the project seeks to capture, both in its volumes and in the interiors and exteriors of the building. The color palette of the different spaces and furniture is resolved through natural tones, enhancing the formal proposal as reminiscent of the nearby elements, and integrating it into the natural environment.