besonías almeida arquitectos sets san benito house overlooking lagoon

besonías almeida arquitectos sets san benito house overlooking lagoon
all images © federico kulekdjian 

overlooking an artificial lagoon and surrounding by lush vegatation, ‘san benito house’ in villanueva, argentina is a vast private residence by besonías almeida arquitectos. the challenge of the project was to conceive a house that capitalized on its natural environment and to ensure that all the rooms faced the water. although the firm is recognized for their use in exposed concrete in their other projects, the clients requested the rawness and texture of raw concrete to be covered with a beige coating. the result sees a rectilinear and flat-roofed structure designed as a restrained abstraction.

the property is owned by a married couple

the living quarters are spread across two floors. the master bedroom with ensuite, large dressing room and two guest rooms (for the client’s  children and grandchildren) are based on the upper level – each with their own balcony and overlooking the lagoon on one side, and the pool on the other. smooth concrete floors are used within the generously-sized programs, with floor-to-ceiling windows filtering natural light into each space.

‘looking  to  solve  the  dichotomy  between  that  goal  and  the  need of  sunlighting  in  every  bedroom, we decided to dispose the functions into two displaced volumes, bound by a double height void that contains the staircase and the circulation of the top floor. thus, on the ground floor, a good orientation is achieved, as well as views to both the front and the lagoon in the living room and the kitchen and dining area.’ – maria victoria besonías

all the rooms are orientated to gain a view of the lagoon and natural surroundings

concrete flooring with white render walls have been used throughout

the communal programs are based on the lower ground floor

two displaced volumes, bound by a double height void that contains the staircase and the circulation to the top floor

clerestory windows provide ample day light into the dwelling

the bedrooms have their own balcony

bathroom

the front side of the house has little openings to promote privacy

the rear of the property in the evening

project info:

location: san benito district, escobar, buenos aires, argentina
design and project management: maría victoria besonías, guillermo de almeida 
collaborators: arch. micaela salibe 
land area: 1123m2 
built area: 253m2 
construction year: 2016