croxatto y opazo arquitectos' casa lagunita is a rotated cube on the coast of chile

a holiday home in laguna zapallar

Situated in Chile‘s beach town of Laguna Zapallar, the Lagunita House is shaped by Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos to frame views across the coastal neighborhood. This holiday home, photographed here by Cristóbal Palma, is strategically positioned along the Laguna de Zapallar to offer a postcard retreat for its residents. Built on a three hundred square-meter plot of land, the compact dwelling exemplifies spatial optimization. Perched atop a sloping plot, the landscape is divided into three main terraces by two concrete retaining walls. The first level opens onto the street, and serves as the entrance to the home above.

images © Cristóbal Palma

casa lagunita: a cubic home glimpses the coast

Elevated three meters above the street, Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos’ La Lagunita takes shape as a white wooden cube measuring seven meters in width and 5.5 meters in height. The architects top the cubic home with a rooftop terrace, which opens toward panoramic views of Maitencillo, Playa Laguna, and the town of Laguna. Upon entering the Lagunita House, a living room, dining room, and kitchen unfolds in an open plan. Interiors are finished with raw insigna pine wood, treated with a gentle white wash of paint. While the southern side of the home is private and closed-off, the home opens broadly out to the north through large pine windows, facing broadly toward the coast. A small terrace further extends the living space outward, and further invites nature indoors.

the house in Laguna Zapallar frames its natural surroundings and offering a coastal retreat

inside the dwelling by croxatto y opazo arquitectos

To navigate between the levels of La Lagunita, Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos design an interior staircase which takes center stage. The first section, crafted from planed pine wood, leads to a second folded metal section, five millimeters thick, reinforced with triangular metal ribs. The second level’s bedrooms are strategically oriented towards the north, framing distant views of the hillside along with the natural beauty of the garden. The large window facing southwest extends into a covered terrace to evoke a lighthouse that welcomes the afternoon sun. This play of light adds warmth to the wooden interior walls and creates an welcoming atmosphere.

the project negotiates with its sloping plot by diving the terrain into three terraces
Casa Lagunita takes shape as a white wooden cube elevated over the street
strategically oriented windows capture views over the town and hillside

the dwelling is capped by a rooftop terrace opening toward the beach town of Laguna and the ocean beyond

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project title: Casa Lagunita

architecture: Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos | @croxatto_opazo_arquitectos

location: La Laguna, Zapallar, Chile

lead architects: Nicolás Opazo, Felipe Croxatto
project team: Martin Dellatorre, José Pablo O’Ryan, Maximiliano Valle
structural engineer: Luis Della Valle

built area: 83 square meters

completion: 2023

photography: © Cristóbal Palma | @estudiopalma