Credits
From P+0 Arquitectura
This weekend cabin is located inside a large property planted with trees. It is a personal retreat also used for entertaining family and friends. The site´s topography is very particular formed by a flat half, covered with trees and close to the access from the street and a large area that descends abruptly, almost as a ravine, in the other half.
The attractive interior landscape formed by the enormous existing trees in the plain of the property, the spectacular views towards the mountains at the edge of the ravine, as well as the dimensions of the land demanded a project with a far larger budget than the one that was available for the cabin. Due to the lack of funds it was decided to look for targeted strategy like "planting a flag" to conquer the land by means of a piece congruent with the projects tight economy.
In one of the few clearings between trees a linear piece limiting with the forest and pointing towards the mountain range was placed; its shape is the result of a carefully studied cut. Started from the archetype of the traditional gabled roof cabin cut in half to get a greater height towards the forest, to the north. After concluding that making the north façade completely transparent was unaffordable, the half-cabin form is used to open a continuous window that looks towards the treetops from all the interior spaces.
The opening towards the forest makes a clear distinction between the habitable piece, closed almost completely by walls, and its roof, which is treated as a loose piece simply resting on the occupied piece. The cut is subsequently extruded longitudinally, following a line to generate the volume of the cabin. The simple form gains complexity in dialog with the terrain and the landscape.
The volume closes to the street, opens towards the mountains and is cut by a subtraction that saves a young oak by creating a small entrance courtyard. The resulting longitudinal prism takes advantage of the regularity of the terrain to rest firmly on the ground except for the social area and terraces that when looking for the best views of the terrain were suspended over the ravine thanks to a dramatic cantilever slab.
Despite its small size it is sought that the duality of the land matches with that of the program to generate spaces for retreat and gathering in a single volume. A street inside of the property lead us to the access, a patio in the heart of the house, surrounding an existing oak tree that welcomes the visitors. The private spaces: a bedroom, a study and a bathroom, were located east from the access. The social areas: kitchen, dining room and living room with a large window that looks out over the valley and the mountains in the distance, were located on the west. As protection against the west sun and suspended over the descending area of the land a terrace finishing the social area was the answer.
Constructively the building follows a simple scheme resolved in 3 clearly differentiated parts: a firm-slab, a perimeter of bearing walls and a wooden roof resting merely on the walls. The foundation resolves the relation with the topography and defines a line of concrete that projects to the ground and continues to become the slab soaring over the ravine. Two canted beams, reinforced with steel that can be seen in the interior, support the cantilever and become the floor of the entire house finished in devastated concrete.
On the foundation the bearing clay walls rise; continuous except for a series of narrow vertical windows that provide lighting and ventilation to the different interior rooms. The blocks gear was modified in key zones to get views of the mountains and trees that surround the cabin. However, the best sights are achieved thanks the wooden beams on the roof, raised to the north with the help of small columns, generate the longitudinal landline and another series of windows to permit exhaust hot air.
The russet brick volume dialogues with the local earth, the large linear window brings the forest to the interior while the vacuum towards the mountains places the cabin inhabitants in the heart of the surrounding nature by diluting the border between forest and flying away towards the mountains in the distance.