Project: Till House
Architects: WMR Arquitectos
Location: El Arco, Navidad, Chile
Area: 1,991 sq ft
Photographs by: Sergio Pirrone
Till House by WMR Arquitectos
WMR Arquitectos have designed the Till House which is a solitary residence situated on the height of the cliffs of Los Arcos in Chile. It offers a breathtaking view over the length of water, where the sea meets the sky.
The entire house is made of wood. It is simple but elegant and is strictly bound to the cliffs that are blown by the wind. Being designed to integrate and merge with the natural environment, the construction is mostly wooden, built on one level and stretched lengthwise.
From the architects: “The clients wanted a small weekend shelter. They are a German-Chilean couple.The location is a coastline of cliffs, 10 kilometers long and 200 metres high where buildings have never existed. People from this zone have always harvested “cochayuyo” (Chilean seaweed) and seafood. Access to the beach is made by difficult paths which take a long time to go.
The house is located on a special point of the cliff. There are fractions to the west, east and north of the house, generating a island situation.
The house was projected in a 3,2 meters x 3,2 meters wooden modules where all the skeleton (beans and columns) are visible. The whole skeleton is impregnated with carbolineum (black color) and the cladding of the walls in dark brown. The interiors were worked with white walls and ceilings. The floor is made of wood. The construction was considered in a simple way, only with local wood and labor.“
“Two bedrooms, the living room, dining room and the kitchen shared the same place. During the day, these rooms dialogue and generate a pretty flexible use. At night, big doors can be moved and provide privacy to the bedrooms.
The volume is 6 x 12 meters big. To the west, north and south side, terraces were designed to take advantage from the different intense of the sun. In these terraces we used 2”x6” slats, and 2” separates from each other. This gives texture to the shadows. On the roof, there is a 100% sunny terrace.“
“To the south, there is a “cuba”, it is a sort of wooden hot tub, where the water is warmed with fire. This cuba is connected with a ramp to a guest house.
The site is very strong, to the west the pacific ocean from a very high point of view. To the north, south and east orientations, there is view of the cliffs.“
