Felipe Assadi + Christophe Rouselle - Casa Serrano

Another Chilean house this week thanks to Plataforma Arquitectura.
Felipe Assadi and Christophe Rouselle have created a wonderful house that exploits the views towards Santiago city as David Basulto describes.

Article By: David Basulto [tricky]
Architects: Felipe Assadi + Christophe Rouselle
Landscaping: Piera Sartori
Plot: 1000 m²
Area consturcted: 370 m²
Completed: 2006-03-21
Location: Mirador de Los Dominicos, Santiago de Chile
Constructor: Jorge Carrasco
Surveyor: Enzo Valladares

The Casa Serrano plot is located on one of the hills that borders the west zone of Santiago, a location with an almost aerial view of the city. In spite of these panoramic view, the appearance of neighboring constructions pushed the architect towards the formation of an apparently opaque pavilion when viewed from the sides, that lies above the landscape to generate a more dramatic visual relationship with the city.

The ground floor, dug into the hillside, establishes the first steps of the terraced plot and sits under the first floor. Through this, the ground level of the house is left semi buried, protected from the neighbors by means of the surrounding landscape. On this level, one finds the common areas enclosed within a transparent space, consisting basically of steel columns and large glass windows.

The second floor, level with the top of the plot, extends horizontally as you move down the slope, left to appear as though it is floating above the hillside. Made up of a volume of reinforced concrete covered completely in a second layer of wooden skin, perforated to allow in ventilation and the views. This surrounding skin, simultaneously function as blinds providing privacy to the house and regulating the light that enters the house. This skin, on the Northern facade, is a system of blinds in tracks that move horizontally along the outside of the house. On this level are located the bedrooms and intimate living rooms, in addition to an inner patio that serves the bedrooms that do not partake in the views towards the city.

The third level works as a wooden deck, covering the bedrooms, in which a more direct relationship with the context of the plot is established. This viewpoint allows 360 degree views of the city.

A vertical volume of concrete ties these horizontal layers together. Located in the highest sector of the land, this tower simultaneously allows vertical circulation and orders the relationship between the different areas. In each level of this volume a small living room lets you out to the rest of the floor. On the third floor the living room is a study, permitting access to the deck and views beyond. The materials used are reinforced concrete, steel, glass and Almendrillo timber.

Photos