Concrete House Design with a Social Area which is the main space Connecting with Nature

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Architects: Besonias Almeida Arquitectos
Area: 1841 ft²
Year: 2021
Photographs:Hernán de Almeida
Program: Summer house
City: Pinamar
Country: Argentina
The Loma House sits nestled amidst the dunes of Costa Esmeralda, a private development boasting a unique blend of native pastures and young forests. Just a stone's throw away from Pinamar, this house is 390 kilometers from the bustling heart of Buenos Aires. Here, the architects were presented with a challenge - to create a summer house that seamlessly integrated with the surrounding landscape.
The plot itself offered a unique canvas. A grove of maritime pines stood watch over the gently sloping land, which rose dramatically in the first 6 meters, creating a natural barrier between the house and the access road, as well as one of the neighboring lots. This unexpected topography, while posing a challenge for access, presented an opportunity for unparalleled privacy without the need for additional fencing.
The clients envisioned a haven built entirely of exposed concrete, a testament to strength and permanence. However, they also yearned for a touch of contrast, a material that would stand out against the concrete's uniformity in both color and texture. This addition, however, had a crucial requirement - it needed to be virtually maintenance-free.
Function was equally important. The program called for a master suite with its own storage, two additional bedrooms with shared bathrooms for the children and their friends, and a social area that would be the heart of the house. This social space, envisioned as a fluid connection between the forest and the vibrant outdoor activities the family craved, needed to be a true centerpiece. Additionally, secure storage for beach gear and parking for vehicles were high on the priority list.
The architects rose to the challenge posed by the uneven terrain. Instead of altering the natural landscape or removing the existing trees, they took advantage of the existing slope. A comfortable staircase with five landings became a key element, snaking along the side of the property with the lower neighboring lot. This path culminated in a doorway, leading not directly into the house, but into a unique courtyard.
Inspired by a series of vertical quebracho boards, the courtyard offered a sense of privacy and expansion for the main rooms of the house, all while remaining hidden from the gaze of neighbors. Tucked away in a corner, barely noticeable, was the entrance to the social area. Here, living, dining, and kitchen seamlessly flowed into one another, all constructed from the exposed concrete the clients desired.
Branching off from the courtyard, a corridor visually integrated with the space led to the secondary bedrooms and the shared bathroom. At the end of the path, bathed in soft light, lay the master bedroom with its breath-taking views of the street. A low horizontal window stretched across the entire suite, offering a glimpse of the outdoors. A large window in the master bedroom also provided access back to the courtyard, allowing for a circular flow within the house. In addition to the main entrance, a secondary access with quebracho boards was planned on the natural terrain, leading directly to the outdoor activity area beneath the grove of pines.
With the internal layout carefully planned around the existing trees and the challenge of accessing the house from the street addressed by the dramatic staircase, only one question remained: how to announce the entrance from afar. The architects achieved this by breaking the building's formal rigidity. A slight turn in the staircase and the courtyard wall created a visible distortion in the concrete volume, a subtle beacon guiding visitors towards the hidden paradise within.
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