House C-17
An order is received and according to the evaluation of the initiative it offers limited financial benefits, but simultaneously has excellent conditions to start a creative process, represented in a bet that assumes the premise: "the possibility of generating a project that is a creation and not a replica of something already imagined."
The proposal comes as a result of the relationships and conflicts between three basic components: the natural, anthropic and metaphorical; each component is approached from a key variable for its morphological interpretation (formal – spatial):
- Given the environmental characteristics of the surroundings, the land is taken as structural aspect of the territorial support and enviroment of the project.
- Given the interpretation of the formal - spatial structure as an archetype created by human beings, the plant is taken as the component that configures the operation of the proposal.
- Given the reinterpretation of what covers as a symbolic element that generates security and confidence, the roof is assumed with metaphorical sense, representing an additional challenge to the process of creation.
In this way the dialogic triad is obtained: Land - plant – roof Addressing the analysis of joints and contradictions present and possibles between these three components, leads to find a complex interlocutor to establish simple relationships (above - below, outside - inside and solid - transparency, among others), from the previous EXPLORATIONS made about the grid, allow assuming the project as a testing laboratory of concepts and relationships.
Taking lessons: “Para no contradecir la realidad, el arquitecto debería atenerse a los hechos arquitectónicos que a partir de ella se puedan formular” (Pérez, Aravena y Quintanilla, 2007:15). Based on this reflection it asks for an assessment of reality in search of the purposes to which must answer the triad. First: Addressing the pedestrian and vehicular accessibility in relation to the adjacent street to 45°. Second: To form a permeable frontal plane to the breezes coming down from the Venezuelan Andes to clean the warm meadows and the reed fields. Third: Floating perpendicularly the parking integrating to the house exoskeleton, as opposed to the prevailing separate proposal. Fourth: Structuring the central yard of 6 * 6 meters, which serves as a flow collector in both directions. Fifth: An opening of 12.00 meters that allows integrating kitchen - bar - dining room – living room in a unit space conditioned for the furniture. Sixth:
Solving generic variables as:
the tectonic
Three grids that cross each other, the first one forming the land as a stepped floor, situating the house in downward cascade, allowing expand the section from the entrace to the interior; the next one forms the plant, a sequence of horizontal planes sized in relation to the housing program, working to compression and supporting the roof falling from above in a grid of inverted beams.
programatic
A set consisting of roof - study - patio - parking - hangs from above by subjecting the inverted beams working simultaneously as hanging beams, two groups of load-bearing planes that fit with the program by way of partition walls, the first one groups rooms and the study on the northeast side integrating the intimate area of the house, while on the southwest side, kitchen, laundry area and guest bedroom, make up the structural corbel what affixed to the floor gives balance to the imposing cantilever. On the floor, under an opening of 12 meters in a continuous space, the furniture is placed demarcating living room - dining room - bar, while the accordion unfolds delimiting the outside terrace facing the pool.
materiality
A exposed concrete skeleton defines the materiality of the house, which is subtly added three materials: Muro-cel in black concrete redefines its use forming the permeable vertical plane in a openwork way. Urapo and pardillo wood treated with natural wax bee impose their presence marking the space whit its horizontal grains, and the glass communicates that supports and not that is supported, desmaterialize with multiple reflections.
the bioclimatic
The oblique beam receives breezes from the northeast and send them giving natural aceleration, toward the permeable frontal plane that as a filter allows its path and simultaneously controls solar radiation of the access corridor, while the horizontal planes float laterally supporting this strategy and minimize the east - west sunlight.
On the southwest side as an accordion, urapo wood partitions allow the passage of the evening breezes and filter the afternoon sun giving a magical atmosphere of shadows and reflections. The system is complemented by a central yard formed by hanging beams that work as a flows collector and link the house with the outside.
the technique
… “As family members that project-planning-in-the-making” (Smithson & Smithson, 2001:30) We have learned from the master to put together things that Mies had; simple self-imposed rules show a clear intention to achieve the maximum benefit of a standard shuttering; to join two planes requires dilate, the inability to use paints and this way the "gray work"... is "white work".
the sustainable
Placed at Los trapiches pre andean valley, a suburban area of sugarcane production irrigated by the tachira river, with excellent mobility infrastructure for its proximity to the metropolitan beltway are among other aspects that add up to establish optimal conditions for project location; C-17 House implements a system for collecting rainwater from the roof, central yard and perimeter zones which are conducted to a storage and later be reused for irrigation.
A permeable exoskeleton that allows breezes income and simultaneously controls solar radiation defines the relationship established by the house with the environment, transforming the central yard in a flows collector during the day, astronomical viewpoint into the night. A whole sub system guaranteeing the low energy consumption of the project, reaching indoor environment quality without the use of refrigeration system.
The operation and maintenance costs are minimized through non utilization of materials that require continuos maintenance, away from a prevailing white esthetic, is choosen the use of endogenous materials of our own tempreature and humidity conditions. A constant commiment to innovation allows the incorporation from the design process all technical facilities so that they meet a self - imposed rule where no material waste result of demolitions are allowed during work.
