praud: casa periscopio in el salvador

‘casa periscopio’ by praud, costa del sol, el salvadorall images courtesy of praud

in costa del sol, el salvador, the ‘casa periscopio’ by boston-based firm praud addresses the people’s desire for security through a solid enclosure, a need which developed following the region’s civil war for architecture. whether positioned in rural or urban areas, dwellings generally follow a ‘modernist fortress’ exterior, in this dwelling, three masses contain the essential program and are connected to a double-height room that links the living spaces with nature.

this open zone overlooks the yard’s cooking, eating and lounging area through bands of south-facing horizontal windows and columns which hearken to modernist designs. the living room is positioned beyond the footprint of the swimming pool, taking on blue accents to blur the boundary between interior and exterior rooms. this momentary escape is a step forward leading to possibly permanent moves towards entirely free facades in residential buildings. concrete and CMU are the building blocks of the structure, keeping in line with local construction methods.

real elevation opens to a yard with a pool and lounging area

fortress-like side elevation

horizontal bands of full-height windows interrupted with columns hearkens to modernist detailing

main entrance

dining room

living room opens to swimming pool and nature

open the fortress-like exterior enclosure to the encompassing environment

programmatic masses connect to a double-storey living space

back yard

at dusk

street elevation

aerial view of site

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

roof plan

elevations

elevations

axonometric