Visitors to the Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve in Panguipulli, Chile, are immediately struck by an overwhelming sense of beauty and calm. It’s situated in the Los Ríos region, where the terrain is strewn with glacial lakes, teeming with flora and fauna, and defined by the soaring Andes Mountains. Here, in an ancient forest, an off-grid cabin sits lightly upon the land.

Santiago- and Puerto Varas–based firm SAA Arquitectura + Territorio designed the cabin while taking note of the forest’s dense trees, which stand 82 feet tall on average. After considering these sensitive spatial constraints, the team set out to build a home with a modest footprint that would draw from the classic Patagonian vernacular and organically blend in with its setting. “The house proposes to understand the construction site as a determining factor, as a design exercise,” says SAA partner, Sergio Araneda.

SAA knew there would be challenges in bringing this structure to life. Given the area’s propensity for persistent rain, it would need to be built in a short amount of time. Its isolated location would also make it difficult to secure supplies and labor. Local carpenters, working without the aid of electricity, ultimately came to the rescue, constructing “a simple, shed-like refuge, so as to not detract from the environment,” adds Araneda.

Comprising a square grid that is 36' x 36', the 110-square-foot cabin is built around a central light well—a vertical void enveloped in full-height walls of glass. During the day, sunlight emanates through the glazing and illuminates the interior, first warming the bedrooms in the morning, then making its way through the open living area, the entry, and finally the terrace. The transparent perimeter of the warm, glowing shelter allows guests to take in views of the vast sky and heady treetops.

By raising the dwelling off the ground, SAA established a much-needed buffer for ventilation and humidity protection, while also helping to conserve the rich range of biodiversity on the forest floor below. Other than the glass that is pivotal to the design, SAA embraced a straightforward material palette of mixed woods, including local Mañio.

A hardwood roof protects the cabin from snowfall and tumbling branches, and a waterproof membrane stretches from the ridge to the underside of the facade, ensuring that the structure can withstand frequent and heavy precipitation. This weatherproof skin is layered with sealed hardwood and a pine finish, “which binds the house to the local building tradition,” Araneda points out.

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Araneda is pleased to have satisfied the one overarching goal of the refuge’s design: “That from a distance it belongs to the local landscape, and in the near future it has a contemporary relationship with the landscape.”

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: SAA Arquitectura + Territorio / @sergio_araneda_m

Builder/General Contractor: Pajara Carpenter Ltda

Structural Engineer: Sergio Araneda and Diego Alvarellos

Interior Design: Sergio Araneda