Lots of Windows and a Sunroom Suffuse This Black Chilean Cabin With Light

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Project Details:

Location: Puerto Varas, Chile

Architect: Viento Norte Arquitectura

Footprint: 150 square feet

Photographer: Matias Riveros

From the Architect: "Casa Cumbre is a housing project that seeks to reinterpret rural life by combining natural beauty with modern sophistication and comfort. Located in the town of Las Quemas, near Puerto Varas, it features a flexible design that can adapt to different types of spaces and uses.

"The house is situated on a typical grazing meadow in the region—a blank canvas that allowed the project to start from scratch. Its location at the back of the property provides distant views of the Andes mountain range and close-up views of the surrounding trees, as well as views of the garden and orchard that will be created in the future. Optimal sun exposure is achieved through a transparent axis that runs from east to west, capturing the light of sunrise and sunset.

"The project focuses on the common areas of the house with an integrated living, dining, and kitchen area with double-height ceilings that receive sunlight throughout the day, and provides a sense of spaciousness and spatial integration. A small room overlooks this space, further enhancing this feeling. To the east is a winter garden, which functions as an intermediate space between the interior and exterior, a protected area from the rain that helps heat the house on sunny days. This space is an extension of the interior where the plants and animals of the house coexist.

"The shape of the house is determined by its interior program, with the first floor housing the main common spaces as well as a guest bedroom and bathroom. On the second floor, there is a small room as well as the primary bedroom with a bathroom and walk-in closet. The ridge, or highest point of the house, responds to the disposition of the second level.

"The structural system of Casa Cumbre is a mixture of steel and traditional wooden frame housing, with a black zinc exterior combined with wooden details that produce a sense of warmth, and invite protected access to the house and its terraces. These are the elements that connect the house to the land."