Hired to design a house for a keen skateboarder, architect Macu Bulgubure decided to go all-in and created an attractive house that has an awesome-looking ramp on its exterior. Named Skatehouse 2, it also runs off-the-grid with a solar power setup and rainwater collection system.
Skatehouse 2 (as its name suggests, it's actually Bulgubure's second home to feature a skate ramp) is located in Argentina's Paraná river islands area, near the city of Rosario. This happens to be a flood risk area, so the home was raised above the ground on stilts and it features a steel frame and mixture of wood veneer and waterproof wood cladding that lends it a striking appearance.
The skateboard ramp itself is used as you might expect, while also doubling as a wall that shades the home from the summer Sun, while nearby lies a terrace area and an outdoor kitchen.
Inside the home proper, the interior measures 76 sq m (818 sq ft), which is spread over two floors. The ground floor features an open layout, with a living room, which is heated by a wood-burning stove, as well as the kitchen and dining area nearby, plus a bathroom. A floating staircase leads upstairs to the bedrooms and a balcony area.
Owing to its location in a challenging flood-prone site, there are no grid-based utilities available so Skatehouse 2 runs fully off-the-grid. All power comes from a roof-based solar power system, while the water is collected from rainwater collection system and a nearby river. Additionally, hot water is produced by a solar hot water tank.
Source: Macu Bulgubure