agustín lozada's 'casa clausura' surrounds courtyard in argentina

Agustín Lozada Rethinks Suburban Domesticity

Casa Clausura, designed by architect Agustín Lozada, is a single-family residence located in Mendiolaza, a fast-developing suburb on the outskirts of Córdoba, Argentina. Sited within the newly built neighborhood, the project engages its context through a series of decisions that resist the typical logic of suburban development.

The concrete house humbly settles into its surroundings. It occupies the site’s flattest area and allows a modest, pre-existing mound to define its elevation from the street. From the sidewalk, only a low roofline is visible. It is deliberately subdued, maintaining uninterrupted views toward the trees and mountains beyond. This gesture reflects an approach driven by restraint and spatial responsibility.

images © Federico Cairoli

casa clausura designed with a logic of withdrawal

With the project’s name, Casa Clausura, architect Agustín Lozada speak to a retreat from the visual noise of suburban repetition. Though the site offers open western views, the plan turns away from them, avoiding Córdoba’s intense afternoon sun. Instead, the house orients toward the northeast, prioritizing soft light, environmental comfort, and privacy. These pragmatic choices guide the layout and rhythm of the home.

The organizing principle is a central courtyard, around which the entire domestic program unfolds. Shaded and enclosed, the courtyard becomes a gathering space, centered by a pool and bordered by full-height glazed openings that blur the line between interior and exterior. The architect notes that such courtyards are common among rural homes throughout Argentina.

Casa Clausura is located in Mendiolaza, a growing suburb of Córdoba, Argentina

a pared-back concrete courtyard house

One of the more unexpected features of Casa Clausura is its treatment of the garage. Where most suburban homes place it upfront, dominating the facade, here it has been relocated to the rear of the site. This reversal sets in motion a series of formal adaptations — the driveway wraps around the house’s perimeter, requiring the concrete volume to fold and bend, allowing access without rigidity. The result is a massing that is at once grounded and responsive, with a form shaped by movement and constraint.

Materially, the house is resolute. Cast-in-place concrete provides weight and thermal mass, while its earthy tone harmonizes with the muted palette of the terrain. Openings are carefully calibrated, giving priority to privacy and an inward-facing orientation. Interior spaces are curated with a pared back material palette to celebrate the garden onto which they open.

the house is positioned on the flattest part of the site and withdraws from street view