this house by barrionuevo villanueva floats among argentina's forested hills

the floating ‘obra luyaba’

argentina-based barrionuevo villanueva arquitectos completes a single-family home in the forested landscape of córdoba, argentina. the site looks out toward the distant, rolling landscape, removed from the urban context and isolated from neighbors. the architects tell designboom: ‘the value of the site is nature, which has the leading role as soon as the paved road is abandoned.’

the dwelling, dubbed ‘obra luyaba,’ takes shape with a simple, L-shaped plan and an expressive material palette. its monolithic volume projects over its sloping plot and is supported by two simple columns. contrasting this lightly floating condition, the house is built with heavy concrete slabs sandwiching operable vertical wooden louvers.

images © gonzalo viramonte | @gonzaloviramonte

an architecture emerging from the forest

approaching the site, barrionuevo villanueva arquitectos’ (see more here) ‘obra luyaba’ emerges from the forested, winding road. with the hilly context and thick vegetation, the house is a place to be progressively discovered. the house is a fleeting jewel in the trees, soon to vanish again. inside, the living space serves doubly as an observation platform that solemnizes the impressive views of the landscape and wildlife.

the design team continues: ‘the project defines the need to generate shelter, and works on the construction logic that rethinks the economy, resources, human needs and contained space.’

barrionuevo villanueva arquitectos in cordobá

the team at barrionuevo villanueva arquitectos explains the spirit of its obra luyaba: ‘the work is a support of inhabiting and contemplation, the compositional synthesis had to be total. the structure supports the loads, defines the space, the uses and the material expression, in collaboration with the wooden sieves, they condition and intend the sunlight and the visuals.

‘the definition of these factors are essentially defined by the beams that, due to their location and direction, determine circulation and permanence zones on the floor plan, as well as the definition of a public and a private space, intersecting. the result is a patio node between the public/private horizontally and the access and terrace/pool vertically.

‘all these variables of use and space make it possible to inhabit in order to provide a gradual revelation of the architecture, giving framework and accent to the landscape.’

the house takes shape with a simple L-shaped volume