Cordoba-based architecture practice Santiago Viale and Associates has built a home that features a perforated brick façade in Cordoba, Argentina.

Named Las Marías House, the 380-square-metre building unfolds among a profuse trees and vegetation, the reason why detecting the voids available became a priority, being these the configuring spaces of the social area of the house, while towards north the rectangular prism of private areas was disposed, both connected through a circulation surrounding the main courtyard.

These design decisions pursued the objective of maintaining all of the trees that the site contained, with the purpose of achieving the least environmental impact possible.

The thermal condition was considered from the very first idea; by which it was decided to maintain the volume of vegetation from the trees above the sealing as the elemental solar protector for this. Moreover, the house presents several intermediate spaces, inherited from our colonial architecture.

All the private areas of the house were placed in a north-facing block, which has a concrete eaves that allows the entry of abundant sunlight in winter and none in summer.

On the facade facing the street, to the west, a brick screening was proposed before the garages, which together form a filter conformed by a material and programmatic proposal as a protection to the strong afternoon sunlight.

Skylights were proposed in several spaces, which not only work as an element that incorporates natural light inside, reducing energy consumption; but they also lend character to the architectural language both outside and inside spaces.

The decision of maintaining the existing vegetation meant a direct relation with the constructive system chosen attempting to avoid cutting the trees as well as preventing to interfere with their roots.

First sketch

Floor plan

Section

Section

Video courtesy of Santiago Viale and Associates

Project facts

Project name: Las Marías House – Las Marías House

Architecture office: Santiago Viale and Associates

Location: Cordoba Capital, Cordoba, Argentina

Construction completion year: 2022

Constructed area: 380 m²

Architects in Charge: Daniella Beviglia – Daniela Iciksonas

Designer team: Florencia Esteban, Tito Maximiliano Gonza, Juan Macías, Eduardo Storaccio

Engineering: Carlos could

Consultants: Agro. Jose Manuela Viale

Collaborators: Santiago Viale Beviglia

All images © Gonzalo Viramonte.

All drawings © Santiago Viale and Associates.

> via Santiago Viale and Associates

brick residence residential