Located in La Unión, a city and commune in Chile’s Los Ríos region, Refugio 3x3 is set in a forest on the side of a new lot of residential houses that were built in response to the recent expansion of city limits.
Floor Plan of the House of Cascade
The kitchen has Ikea cabinets with Colonial Bronze hardware that “elevates” them, topped with honed Carrara marble counters. Holly is familiar with using a high-low mix for clients. The stools are by PNW maker Phloem Studios and the ceiling lights were sourced from OneFortyThree.
Before: The exterior of the house needed sprucing up. The homeowners wanted to maintain the architectural spirit, but modernize it.
The modular design of the cabin means it can be easily adapted to different sites, sizes and uses.
The home features a combination of interior and exterior living spaces that afford privacy to the occupants. “There are social spaces for everyone to be together, but also spots outside the building where people can have a private coffee—and that’s so important,” says architect Line Solgaard.
Geothermal-controlled ventilation and a highly insulated envelope contribute to an energy savings of nearly 30% at the Cafeteria and Day Care Center by Aldinger Architekten in the Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany. Photo by Roland Halbe
The guest bedrooms feature numerous amenities, including built-in closets. The clean lines of the black-framed mirror contrast with the more rustic shiplap walls.
In the living room, a RAIS Q-Tee 2 stove and CB2 rocker warm the space.
When fully built-out, details are integrated into every surface of the Classic. A solid butcher block flip table provides space for dining in the outdoors.
The Studio features a sustainable wood exterior with a custom stain blended with tongue and groove cedar, a six-foot patio door, and LowE thermopane windows. Add-on options include a cedar front deck with a bench.
The kitchen features Ikea cabinets, soapstone countertops, and steel backsplash. The oak panel doors conceal additional storage and mechanicals.
Since septic systems are impossibilities on Criehaven, the Porters chose a Sun-Mar self-contained composting toilet as the ideal alternative.
In the living room, the timber joinery continues and creates a sense of enclosure. The architects lined the opposite wall with a continuous bench seat to unify the open plan.
Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.
Both the interior and exterior of this Japandi tiny home feature contrasting shades of black and natural wood tones, which homeowner Stephen Proctor first imagined after picking up a Theo coffee mug and teapot by the brand Stelton. The matte-black ceramic base and simple bamboo handle and lid inspired him to mimic the combination throughout the tiny home.
A cedar fence, porch, and chimney and a Minerit panel driveway syncs with the materials inside the courtyard.
Section of Casa Iporanga by Daniel Fromer
The expansive windows offer unparalleled views of La Plata peak while also providing lots of natural light to the living room and kitchen.