argentina's 'LS house' is flooded with patterned shadows

a house floating among the trees

Emerging from the forests outside Córdoba, Argentina, this ‘LS House’ takes shape with architecture by Spanish studio SAZ Arquitectos. The surrounding area is overgrown with natural vegetation and is interrupted by a tranquil river. Within this picturesque site, the architecture is designed as an assemblage of ‘pure volumes’ arranged together around sunlit courtyards to create a private oasis in the middle of nature. As the design team puts it, the house seeks a ‘balance between the interior and the presence of the natural environment.’

‘I walk through the landscape where green and sunlight invade me,’ says the architect. ‘I rest on the trees, lulled by the sound of water.’

images © Gonzalo Viramonte | @gonzaloviramonte

a composition of concrete and timber

SAZ Arquitectos locates the entrance to its ‘LS House’ along its southern facade, awash with sunlight, and wrapped in an envelope of vertical wooden slats. With this ‘blind’ timber front, interiors are sheltered from the noise of the street while the material’s warmth counters the coolness of the otherwise stone house. Two courtyards at the center of the home open the interiors up to sunny gardens, inviting light and natural breezes inside.

The architects organize the home’s living spaces off one side of the axis formed by these courtyards, this gathering space expressed as a continuous concrete gallery. Along the other side of the axis, bedrooms are gathered into a single volume which lifts off the ground — untouched land sweeps beneath this lightweight volume and down toward a river below. Meanwhile, a balcony off the master bedroom is elevated amongst the trees.

natural sunlight as a dynamic space-maker

SAZ Arquitectos designs its LS House with geometric precision which is enhanced by the natural light streaming in through its rhythmic openings. This light serves as a dramatic effect which changes the atmosphere of the interior spaces depending on the time of day. Visually connecting the interior spaces with the garden courtyards, the patterned sunlight and shadowing transforms the minimalistic architecture into a dynamic experience.

The design team continues: ‘The design of the built environment, the relationships between objects and their built and natural surroundings, territorial coherence, scale and materiality, are factors that have a direct impact on our quality of life.’

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floor plan

elevations

project info:

project title: LS House

architecture: SAZ Arquitectos | @sazarquitectos

location: Córdoba, Argentina

completion: 2022

architects in charge: Sebastián A. Zolecio, Gustavo Mandril
design team: Sebastián A. Zolecio, Alejandra Antonacci

BIM development: Quobin
design and structural calculation: Alberto García, Leandro Griguol
landscaping consultant: Federico Origlia
collaborators: José Luis Bianchi, Fátima Ferrero, Josefina Rodríguez, Santiago Benavidez, Adrián Marini
construction: Quobin
general work coordination: Ing. Rubén Picón
construction management: Marcelo Pérez
woodworking: This is Earth (Wood)