House in Laguna del Sauce | Guillermo Gil

The design was determined by the the configuration of the sloping site and the vicinity of adjacent properties on the waterfront, either side of the house. The main rooms present large windows to the front and the back (East/West), opening the house to the surrounding landscape of water and trees, while secondary and service spaces are on the sides. This approach made possible to satisfy the client's love for Palladian architecture and its symmetry without recurring to pastiche. The central space of the house, a double-height volume 19 m long, is articulated into a smaller entrance area and the living space by the bridge linking the two bedroom wings on the flanks, and a transparent cylinder of tubes encasing the spiral staircase linking the three levels of the house. The house is only two floors on the front side but three floors towards the lagoon. The dining and family rooms, and the kitchen and staff areas are on the lower floor. A wide flight of steps leads from the large terrace outside the living room onto the lower terrace and outside dining area, from where a stepped terrace leads to the pool. The double infinity edge of the pool creates the visual illusion of swimming in the lagoon. In the bedrooms, the need to control direct sunlight and heat during the day, and the wish to avoid fabric curtains led to a double-set of shutters: solid for blackout at night, and an egg-crate design that allows half-light during the afternoon hours. On the roof, accessible only from the client's private quarters, a stepped circular platform, rising just above the parapet, allows a panoramic view of the lagoon and the surrounding hills. Materials were kept to a minimum range: polished concrete for floors, staircases, and all surfaces in bathrooms and dressing areas. The stucco-like render adopted for the outside was used inside too. All joinery is in lapacho, to minimize upkeep.