Bare concrete mightn't be the fanciest of finishings for a home, but with industrial conversions a growing trend around the world it has come to carry a certain simplistic charm. Chilean architecture firm Felipe Assadi Arquitectos has gone all in on the material for both its structural and aesthetic qualities, putting it to use in a recently completed residence nestled into the hillside on Chile's central coast.
La Casa H is built into hills of the coastal town of Zapallar and is constructed around a set of four massive reinforced concrete beams running the length of the structure, each measuring 40 m (131 ft) long and 1.4 m (4.6 ft) tall. Two of these run along the rooftop and enable an impressive seven-meter (23-ft) cantilever that shelters balcony spaces around the perimeter.
The other two sit beneath the floor slab providing support for the whole structure and helping create the impression that the house is levitating above the slope. Spread out over two floors, the home's upper level plays host to a master bedroom with a private bathroom, along with open plan living, dining and kitchen areas furnished with plain white cabinetry, a fireplace, and views across the Pacific.
Downstairs are more bedrooms and access to an outside area with a pool, and a path down towards the sea. That pool can be accessed via the upper balcony and is housed inside a cantilevered concrete wedge that runs beneath the upper story and presents a sunken entranceway on the other side. These huge, criss-crossing beams work together to create a singular structure.
"We prefer to inhabit a structure instead of structuring a room," the architects write. "In this way, we consider the technical feasibility of a project as its actual design resolution; feasibility is not separate from project design. This means that before becoming a house, the project is its own structure."
Jump on into the gallery to see the impressive La Casa H from all angles.
Source: Felipe Assadi Arquitectos
