house among trees in buenos aires prioritizes openness and transparency

House among trees in Argentina

Berson Architecture Studio has completed a family house nestled amidst a woodland in Buenos Aires. The key element of the project was the three monumental conifers that stood in the middle of the plot. When the design team visited the site, they directly came up with the idea of a house that embraces nature, letting the stunning trees pierce its body. Hence, the existing position of the trees somewhat defined the entire arrangement of the house, which is interrupted by three patios.

The architect’s aim was to form a structure that maximally respects its greenery surroundings and brings pops of green inside. As a result, the architects utilized piles that gently pierces the land, letting the huge roots of the trees sprawl under the construction. The presence of the trees reveals the changing of the seasons, with their bark and the wrinkles to witness the passing of time. All images by Javier Agustin Rojas

prioritizing opacity and transparency 

Through this project, the architects sought to incorporate a play of light and shadow into the design. The resulting composition takes shape as a grid of modulated and continuous columns while the patios are framed by generous glazing that forms a visual connection between domestic space and nature. Openness and transparency come first without compromising the requirements of privacy. 

Regarding the inner configuration, it provides its residents with high adaptability and flexibility to redefine the spaces according to their needs. Thus, to separate the rooms, the design team opted for light internal partition walls that can easily be assembled and modified.

blurring the boundaries of inside and outside 

The first patio is unveiled through an intimate space, acting as a natural buffer that seeks to disconnect residents from the bustle of the city and prepares them to enter a private world that looks for self-construction. The other two patios mediate between public and private spaces, housing the existing trees. Light, greenery, and the natural surroundings break into the domestic sphere’s heart.

A pergola extends the living space, forming a breezy place where the family can spend time together during the summer days. Furthermore, a glazed box over the double-height living room houses the painting studio. As if it immerses in a verdant veil, this room offers stunning landscape views.

A terrace runs through the entire structure enabling a dialogue with the trees. As a part of the house’s functioning, it will retrieve the rainwater for irrigation and it will provide thermal insulation through a substratrum and vegetation coat, achieving bigger comfort. Thus, the terrace appears as an unexpected and intimate place, that reclaims the land where it lies. 

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project info:

name: House among trees
designer: Barbara Berson

location: Cardales, Buenos Aires, Argentina
land area: 700 sqm
covered area: 230 sqm
photography: Javier Agustin Rojas
videography: Emilia Sardin

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina petridou | designboom