OF architects immerses the several pavilions of the mallarauco house within chilean forest

located in the middle of a redwood forest planted at the end of the 19th century, 40 kilometers from santiago, chile, the mallarauco house by OF architects is built as a retreat for a family to occupy on weekends and vacations. the residence, which has been divided in multiple volumes to preserve all the sequoias on site, exists in complete harmony with this idyllic context, where a natural spring flows through the entire land, allowing the proliferation of aquatic plants and natural ponds.all images by pablo casals aguirre

upon solving a traditional program of bedrooms, leisure spaces, and the respective services for the family to occupy the house on weekends and vacations, OF architects decided to ‘explode’ the program in multiple volumes in order to conserve all the sequoias located on the site. situated in front of a forest clearing, the main pavilion houses the service area – kitchen, living room, and main bedroom, and acts as a border between the forest and an area clear of trees constituting a gateway to the entire house. the pavilion opens onto a sunnier space facing north, where the swimming pool, sauna, and outdoor terraces are located, while to the east, the main bedroom overlooks the watercourse, allowing for clearer views over the vineyards and the mallarauco valley.

a second volume encloses the guest pavilion, which is located on another edge, between the watercourse and the redwood forest, and which houses en-suite bedrooms, children’s bedrooms, as well as a second level loft over the kitchenette for the children to play quietly allowing guests to rest and relax. the third pavilion is the ‘quincho’, which is completely immersed in the forest and functions as a central piece in this residence, a true encounter and meeting place for guests. it is designed without vertical enclosures to accentuate its relationship with the context and take advantage of the gentle breeze that runs through the forest in the summer months, while a system of folding shutters and sliding doors allows protection on the coldest nights. an exterior footbridge connects the different volumes, and organizes the circulations around the central area of the forest.

the whole structure and partitioning of the house is carried out by means of a prefabricated wood system, with which OF architects has minimized considerably the times of work, the impact, and the possible damages that the construction could cause to the existing trees. in addition, the wood system establishes a link with the predominant materiality of the surrounding landscape. all the pavilions have been painted in a single dark tone, so that the whole structure can integrate silently into the context of the woods environment.