the plan of aranzazu house is defined by the arrangement of trees, by besonias almeida

besonias almeida’s ‘aranzazu house’ in buenos aires is a corner lot in a closed neighborhood founded in 1968, with an important afforestation — different species of trees and shrubs combined give landscape value to the place. the site is crossed by a row of large oaks and other trees on the front and in the bordering spaces. the architects’ design is based on the trees’ arrangement, which defined the plan of the house made of wood and concrete.

to keep the landscape untouched and probably even highlight it, besonias almeida arquitectos not only preserved the existing trees in the site but made them the first and fundamental starting point of the project. thus, the house accommodates itself in the free spaces left by the trees and wraps them to make them part of the building. to achieve this, a spatial grid of 3.80 meters on each side was chosen, either double or single height depending on the case, which allowed the arrangement of different rooms and also the gaps for trees to pass.

the house hosts four bedrooms, one on the ground floor and one with an integrated bathroom and dressing room, a spacious living room with a fireplace, and a space of intense family life integrating the dining room, kitchen, and an intimate living room.  a large gallery with a grill, dining and outdoor spaces, a pool, and space to park three cars are adjusted to the house.

project info:

location: tortuguitas, buenos aires, argentina
design: maría victoria besonías, guillermo de almeida
collaborators: arch. micaela salibe, arch. diorella fortunati, arch. guido galluppo
land area: 677 sqm
built area: 264 sqm
construction year: 2017
photography: federico kulekdjian

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edited by: maria erman | designboom