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Photography by Felipe Diaz Contardo
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Contact usGiven the semi-arid rural location, the architect of this home needed to ensure it could withstand the sun and heat
It's a home that's fit for place
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Photographer: Felipe Diaz Contardo
About the project: Some design briefs are tougher than others. With this semi-arid home in Santiago, the architect had a laundry list of challenges to address, including:
- Withstanding regular daytime temperatures of around 25C
- Building on ground that's good for agriculture, but bad for construction
- Building in an earthquake-prone area
- Making sure the home could support three adults and two children
The architect came up with an ideal family home. Starting with the exterior, it's white to reflect sunlight and features ample ventilation to disperse heat during the day. It's also mostly located on one floor – another way to avoid heat.
Structurally, the building uses one rigid central floor core constructed out of reinforced concrete. This supports a slab and overhanging cantilever inside the main living area.
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Inside, the central living area is double height, with ample space for the family. This is a steel structure, with the other 65% of the building using prefabricated insulated panels.|
First published date: 25 October 2017