This lodge is a 120m2 house located in a rural scene in a southern region of Chile. The brief was to design a house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a main shared space, interpreting an old small traditional southern Chilean dwelling. The challenge of the proposal was to get that traditional southern look, which implies very opaque facades, but with a full translucent side where the landscape and light can get inside the building, creating its own private world. The house is placed between a forest of native trees, giving its back to the main street. So, the house is oriented to the north and west to get the most of sunlight, which this south down is much appreciated. The concept of the design is organized based on 3 contrast between old and new:
1- Removing non-structural walls and floors: the main structural shape and volume are maintained the same as the old traditional house, but the interior is liberated from any non-structural dividing element, which helped to create a clean and continuous space.
2- Concentrating the apertures: The main source of light is the north façade, keeping the other free opaque as a traditional southern house would have, so the proportion of void and mass was not lost.
3- Material contrast: Big floor to ceiling windows in contrast to recycled traditional timber shingles, an evident contrast between old and new. The distribution of the house is developed in an almost square plan, divided into three volumes:
The main one has the public areas of the house: kitchen, dining room, sitting room and mezzanine.
The east one, the widest, has sleeping rooms and bathrooms with the main access of the house.
And the west one is 1.5m wide acting as a corridor and informal dining room adjacent to the public areas of the main volume. The mezzanine is an opportunity to use the roof space, with a lot of light and natural heating, having control over the main space.

See more on Dwell.com: Maullin Lodge – Los Lagos, Los Ríos Region, Chile

Similar Posts

edgecliff-residence

Edgecliff Residence

Taking advantage of its unique site in Austin’s eclectic Travis Heights neighborhood on the southern shores of Lady Bird Lake, the Edgecliff Residence is a play on contrasts: light and shadow, open and closed, organic and orthogonal. Designed for a couple of empty-nesters on a modest budget, the home’s contemporary aesthetic is balanced by the desire to respect the scale of the existing neighborhood. From the street, the Edgecliff Residence is characterized by a rainscreen made of galvanized electrical conduit—an inventive, low-cost solution that provides shade and privacy while filtering and diffusing sunlight. Throughout the day, the volume enclosed by the screen is alternately camouflaged and highlighted as the reflective metal responds to changes in the sun and sky. In contrast, the rear of the house opens up to the natural landscape and views of downtown Austin via large windows and cantilevered terraces. Below, the terrain falls away steeply to a public hike-and-bike trail before meeting the lake. The trapezoidal floor plan responds directly to the constraints of the long, narrow site—one side parallels the street while the other runs adjacent to the site’s natural contours. The lower level contains an open-air carport, foyer, and two guest rooms; the terrain on the uphill side is retained by a low wall made of weathering steel. The main level houses the kitchen, dining, and living spaces. The open floor plan highlights the dichotomy between the two halves of the site: ribbon windows screen the view of the street opposite picture windows that frame the treetops and lake. The upper level includes the master suite as well as a private study and media room. Doors from the master bath and study open onto another outdoor terrace that offers sweeping views of downtown Austin.