House in the Forest

Located within a dense forest in southern Chile, near the city of Puerto Varas, this residential project takes shape as a compact volume elevated on arched foundations. These foundations help to minimize contact with the ground while emphasizing the intersection between two dissimilar horizontal planes.

On the first level, the house's common areas are situated. Openings are kept minimal, reinforcing the concept of a refuge and maintaining the filtered light characteristic of the forest. The second level houses two bedrooms and a bathroom, separated by a central void that acts as the heart of the project. This void creates a double-height space dominated by a skylight that, in combination with two windows illuminating the bedrooms and a large north-facing window, captures light in an inherently shadowy environment. Facing this large window, a built-in mirror on the second-floor balcony serves as an interior window, reflecting and amplifying light toward the first level.

With a simple and regular composition, positioned like a Monopoly piece on an undefined board, the house embraces the confrontation between construction and site. However, through three key operations—the arches in its foundations, the entrance portal, and the central void—the dwelling transforms, establishing a dialogue with its surroundings that aligns with its own identity.