Casa Escondida

 
 
tito-ce_01.jpg
 
 
 

Located in the Sierras Grandes of the Valle de Calamuchita, close to the Durazno river, the design and execution of Casa Escondida presented the different plans of the architectural exercise. The intervention in the landscape, the placement of the object in the natural environment, the duality between matter and an environment without previous intervention; the lack of immediate resources at the time of its construction and the empirical training of the local workforce. The study of these factors determined all the logics of composition. 

 
 
 
tito-ce_02.jpg
tito-ce_03.jpg
 
 
 

The program required by the principals defined the use of the house for alternative long periods of time, both intensive use and the time unoccupied had to be foreseen. In addition to being in direct relation with outside, it was a premise to live in the natural environment, foreseeing all the preparation activities for each of the seasons, the constant dialogue between work and leisure. The comfort of receiving visitors sporadically should be a priority, sharing a common place and granting the relevant levels of privacy to each user.

tito-ce_planta.jpg
 

The house was oriented northeast-southwest and taking advantage of the natural unevenness of the terrain, it was positioned on the first hill, valuing its own geography as a shelter. All the rooms were located towards the west, looking for the long panorama of the mountain range, and unifying them externally with wooden suspended structures. A gallery as a union is located towards the east, with views of the interior mountain range, a central space for connection, recreation and outdoor work. A new forestation on the hill protects this space. Inside there is a central area and on each side a bathroom/storage system, isolating each of the bedrooms. In the transverse direction to the dining area, two cooking systems were developed, one inside with a washing/cooking place; the other outside, responding to the Argentine culinary traditions of fire and wood-burning oven. 

 
tito-ce_vistas.jpg
 

The land did not have any kind of previous service or connection, the supply energies were developed in-situ: collection of water from the slope by gravity, provision of electrical energy through photovoltaic panels, water conditioning and heating by means of wood combustion. The natural lighting of all the spaces and the cross ventilation reduce considerably the energy consumption.