patio estudio checkers its casa mono in argentina with eleven open patios

photographed by gonzalo viramonte, argentina-based patio estudio completes its concrete casa mono at the end of a sloped neighborhood in córdoba. sited along the border of a native forest, the plot along which the dwelling is sited is flat and absence of plant life. the design team generates a new slope along the site through the reuse of soil extracted from the land itself. with this, the house rises over four feet to peer overhead the neighboring grove and take advantage of a more sweeping view of the landscape beyond.

images by gonzalo viramonte | @gonzaloviramonte

patio estudio organizes its casa mono with its entrance along the upper floor. this level is divided between nine different areas, including the living room, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms — all connected by a corridor and separated by patios. meanwhile, the ground level hosts a garage and a barbecue area connected to a swimming pool and volleyball court. the defining element of the house is its patio, which separates and connects the different programs. this element expands the volume of the house on the ground, generating complementary spaces that allow the interior-exterior link, taking the outside as part of the inside, perceiving it as another part of the house.

each patio has a function that complements the areas of the patio estudio’s casa mono. the areas are modules that are created from the voids, or internal patios, and are connected by a corridor. the original space was fragmented into nine solid volumes and eleven empty volumes, eleven patios. the house is a monolithic structure generated by a concrete skin that envelops the house and gives it an introverted character. it generates intimacy with the neighbors and orients the visuals towards the ‘inside’ patios. the materials reinforce it with the concrete and stone exterior and the wood interior.

project info:

project title: casa mono

architecture: patio estudio | @patioestudio

location: córdoba, argentina

lead architects: federico romano and pablo danna

structural engineer: jorge palandri

landscaping: marcela becerra

graphics: federico romano and rocio soffredi

photography: gonzalo viramonte | @gonzaloviramonte