The project is based on the typology of a rural house from the Pampas region, where the peri-domestic activities inherent to rural work are scattered across the land and are independent of domestic activities. The proposal presents an integrated systemcomposed of the house and follies that are arranged within the landscape, connected bya walkway that traverses the terrain and leads to a dock on the Paraná River.

The system functions as a climatic and ecological organism, where the built elements for human activities responsibly embrace the natural landscape and its biodiversity. The follies include a garden, compost, an area for the growth of spontaneous vegetation fueled by nutrients from the biological filter, a natural pool, an observation deck, a gathering area with a fire pit, a biological bathroom, an outdoor shower, and a car storage space built on the foundation of the pre-existing house.

The house stands as a slender structure, nestled between the existing trees, elevated above the ground to avoid disrupting the growth of native vegetation. Its placement is designed to approach the highest point of the land, with the exterior gallery facing the elevated section, creating a tension with the topography at the access point.

The materials consist primarily of wood and metal, proposing a dry, modular construction system that allows for quick and non-invasive assembly. The structure is based on a grid composed of metal trusses, round-section columns, and two Vierendeelbeams in the upper section, which form the central core of the project.

The central core, which organizes the space, houses the wet areas of the house while also functioning as an intelligent element for climate control and fluid management. It features a Canadian well cooling system, rainwater collection and recovery, a biological water tank, solar panels for energy capture, and a biological filter that decants into the soil, enriching the garden and compost with minerals.

Its architecture reinterprets the typical country gallery by proposing a system of windows and sunshades that, when fully opened, transform the entire house into a semi-covered gallery.

The house merges two seemingly distant morphological models flawlessly: the plinth house and the stilt house. Anchored by a central core that serves as its structural base, the project unfolds as a timber volume, braced by a series of slender pillars that stabilize and connect it to the ground. By minimizing both structural mass and excavation, the design creates a beautiful sequence of open, fluid spaces bathed in natural light from a skylight that ensures soft, diffuse illumination from above. The choice to resolve the façade with adjustable shading elements is particularly compelling, allowing for a fully open configuration that strengthens the seamless dialogue between the house and its surrounding landscape.

Nestled among trees, a portico exists where its rhythm harmonizes with nature. From its initial concept, the project has adopted a philosophy where architecture is intricately linked to nature, embracing its unique characteristics to shape the house’s living space. Building “Entre raíces” or “in-between roots” signifies the dual meaning of connecting with the site through nature, as well as the Argentine architectural tradition of countryside dwellings known as “Quinta.”

The structure of the building is sculpted by the trees, creating volumes that occupy the voids within the landscape. In addition, the sloped terrain defines the domestic areas, featuring a series of covered terraces that flow with the topography, while the layout of the entire building is organized through a crosswise promenade interspersed with various steps. Combined with the site’s warm climate, these features blur the line between indoor and outdoor environments, leading to an essential interaction among humanity, architecture, and nature. By incorporating a glass facade, the building engages in a dialogue of reflections and transparencies with its surroundings, merging the concepts of indoor and outdoor spaces into a hybrid semi-enclosed portico.

Inspired by the traditional features of the Argentine “quincho,” an open-air roofed space, the entire house transforms into a haven for outdoor living, enabling the living areas to fully open up to the exterior. This approach leads to numerous architectural solutions such as sliding elements and folding partitions that, in conjunction with the wooden framework of the building, promote visual and textural coherence with the surroundings.

The sleeping quarters and service areas are designed as contrasting elements: a collection of solid, enclosed volumes rests beneath the extensive roof, while also offering an unobstructed view of the river landscape. The connections are designed in harmony with the natural slope, featuring a series of small steps and terraces that extend from the internal living area to the outdoor swimming pool.

Sensitive to its surroundings, the design preserves existing vegetation while seamlessly integrating into the area, ensuring all spaces maintain a strong connection with the river. Its austere yet precise materiality harmonizes with both the natural environment and Argentina’s cultural context.

Perched on the undulating terrain of Paraná, Argentina, this house emerges where the land gently meets the river, embracing the natural rhythms. The river is ever-present, its breeze carrying the scent of damp earth and flowering trees, its quiet murmur echoing through the spaces. Veils of foliage filter the sun, casting moving shadows on wood and stone.

River Veil House is a home shaped by its landscape, a place where nature lingers, drifts, and is always near.

Establishes a strong connection with nature through open, transitional spaces. A diverse interplay of patios and gathering areas fosters engagement with the landscape on both small and large scales. The raw materiality and tectonic expression respond to the site, climate, and river, embracing water in its various states.

The house rests gently on the hill of La Juanita, Parana, lulling within the swarm of trees, overlooking the lake. Reverencing the idea behind “back to the land” movement that influenced the region of La Juanita, the roof becomes an important part for form–finding and concept of rural Argentinian living, as it follows the natural slope of the hill. Lifestyle of the family of four, including parents and two children, living in the house of lulling heightsderives from the simple idea – how to live within the hill.

‘A gentle vertical stroll’ is what defines the lived experience of the hill. Naturally, the core of the house is designed as a main circulation space where the family walk up and down to different rooms. Each floor they land showcases distinct privacy in relationship to opennesstowards nature – sky, trees, and river. The porosity of the roof build-up allows a variety ofsunlight, while presenting the scene of surrounding nature, leading to a dynamic experience of the weather and season. Cowbirds looking for food over the roof on a warm spring morning, pitter patter of rain hitting the surface on a hot summer afternoon, leaves sheddingover during the evening of fall, twinkle of snowflakes when you wake up in the winter morning… These experiences of movement and nature combined define life within the hill.

The first floor, as you walk in through the front door, is the most private area. Two single bedrooms for children and the master bedroom are open towards the sky, assuring the serenity. Each bedroom is affiliated with an outdoor terrace that can open to the living room downstairs. There are other supportive spaces on this floor such as a theater or guest bedroom for expandable uses.

Next floor showcases the open living room associated with kitchen and dining areasurrounded by trees seen through the roof. The family can host a gathering in this space, as this space features a large sunken couch, 14-people wooden table along with a wine storagethat houses boasting collection of regional Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. During normal times, the family can soak in a serene moment lying down on the couch and glazing at swaying trees. Sometimes, parents can call out children in their upper floor bedroom when the food is ready.

The lowest floor is a semi-outdoor space showcasing the pool and a barbeque area thatphysically connects to the surrounding nature. The panoramic view of the lake through the horizontal pool that fully extends to the width of the house marks the finale of the experience at the house of lulling heights. As we walk over the steppingstones on the pool and a gentle pool garden that blends into the front lawn, we are going back to nature with the hint of a river breeze.

Deceptively simple in form yet strong in concept, the design nestles elegantly into the sloping terrain, achieving seamless site integration. Clear graphics and thoughtful storytelling reinforce a cohesive narrative throughout.

Anchored in a contextual approach based on territorial analysis, this project is part of an architectural strategy that seeks to minimize its topographical footprint while enhancing the relationship between the built space and the vast landscape. Perched on a site overlooking the Paraná River—the second largest in Latin America—near the fishing village of La Juanita and 26 km from the city of Paraná, it structures a spatial experience where protection and openness coexist. Its U-shaped layout frames landscape views while responding to site constraints: pronounced topography to the west and neighboring properties to the north and east. A protective enclosing wall, with few openings, ensures privacy while anchoring the project within a centrality that extends toward the landscape.

The morphological arrangement is based on an aggregation of volumes interconnected by patios, optimizing bioclimatic management. The resulting form allows for a seamless integration into the site and its natural context, while the use of split levels ensures a smooth adaptation to the existing topography. A semi-covered exterior circulation route maintains spatial continuity and connects the different volumes in all seasons, even in rainy weather.

The programmatic organization follows a clear hierarchy of uses and intimacy levels. A service strip along the enclosing wall houses secondary spaces and wet areas, freeing up the main living areas. The master suite, set back, preserves privacy while remaining connected to communal spaces. The children’s bedrooms, adjacent to one another, encourage interaction, while the guest room, designed as an independent module, enhances functional flexibility.

The entrance sequence is conceived as a gradual staging of the landscape, playing with thresholds and visual porosity. From the access point, a carefully designed path guides the visitor through the site, progressively unveiling the horizon of the Paraná River. This immersive approach gives architecture a mediating role between individuals and their environment, going beyond mere domestic functionality to offer an enriched sensory experience.

The layout follows a rigorous bioclimatic logic: the main block, oriented north-south, maximizes solar gains in winter while limiting summer overheating, while the sleeping areas, arranged east-west, benefit from passive thermal regulation. The use of regional materials—wood, concrete, and terracotta—ensures both contextual continuity and thermal performance. Brick, a vernacular material in Latin America, is highlighted here for its high thermal inertia, contributing to optimal comfort year-round and enhancing the quality of living.

The environmental approach is reflected in a green roof that improves rainwater retention and thermal insulation, as well as in adaptive solar protections that ensure greater energy efficiency. These passive systems optimize thermal comfort and integrate the project into a sustainable framework.

Ultimately, this project transcends conventional architectural design by exploring the interaction between dwelling and landscape. By harmonizing bioclimatic strategies, spatial articulation, and contextual integration, it exemplifies architecture as a thoughtful extension of the territory. Drawing inspiration from traditional Argentine housing, where the boundary between indoors and outdoors dissolves, the design fosters a fluid spatial continuity, where indoor living naturally extends into the outdoors

The proposal exhibits excellent integration and adaptation to the sloping terrain. Although it employs a conventional volumetric approach, the roofing system imparts a distinctive unity to the design. The spatial hierarchy is well-defined, with meticulous attention to detail and materiality, in both the project and the presentation.

La Juanita: A Home in Harmony with Nature

Nestled on the lush, sloping terrain overlooking the Río Paraná, La Juanita is a house where architecture and nature coexist. This 481 sqm residence embraces its surroundings, offering an immersive living experience that celebrates the natural environment.

A Home Shaped by Landscape

The design of the house adapts to the land, integrating the existing topography, tall trees, and natural greenery. The slope is an asset, framing panoramic river views and creating a connection between land and water. Three distinct curved-roof volumes are placed to optimize sunlight, maximize views, and enhance the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces. These volumes evoke the site’s natural slope and are linked by circulation areas.

Programmatic Relations

The upper volume, near the access road, contains the utility room and garage, leaving cars forgotten during the stay. A 2.5-meter descent staircase leads visitors to the arrival patio with a water feature, guiding into the main entrance of the house and the central living area. This space integrates the open kitchen, living, and dining rooms with a fireplace. A volume on the side houses the kitchen pantry and the guest toilet. Expansive full height windows provide breathtaking views of the landscape and river, connecting the interior to the exterior deck, pool, and barbecue area.

The architectural journey continues with and exterior corridor to the private wing that includes two secondary guest rooms for children and a flexible room. The master bedroom is located in the final volume, providing a private retreat with direct access to the land and river views.

Finally, the guest house, with its curved green roof, blends into the landscape, offering a unique experience space for visitors. The boathouse, designed as a cozy wooden cabin, serves as storage for kayaks and a relaxing riverside spot to enjoy a coffee.

Materiality: Expressing the Landscape

The material palette of the house is inspired on the natural surroundings, creating a dialogue with the site. Timber, natural stone, and exposed concrete look for durability while evoking the textures of the site. Large glass openings dissolve the boundaries between the interior and exterior, encouraging a continuous connection with landscape. Inside, a neutral material palette and natural wood finishes create a serene atmosphere, allowing the vibrant greens of the forest and deep colors of the river to remain the protagonist of every space.

A Home for Gathering, A Place to Connect

“Echoes of the Land” is more than just a house; it is a space designed to connect with family, friends, and nature. The guest house, nestled in the green slopes, offers a peaceful retreat for visitors. The boathouse, where river adventures begin, enhances the outdoor experience. Meanwhile, the bonfire agora provides a communalgathering space beneath the vast Argentine sky, creating an ideal setting for shared moments and a deeper connection to the surrounding environment.

The house invites exploration along an architectural journey, driven by intentions to merge with the landscape, creating a dynamic tension with the site.

A word that indicates the action of gathering with others, usually to have fun.
“Ehhhh let’s go ranchar with the pibe ñery.”

The project arises from the nostalgia of a changing river, of a landscape that transforms over time, adapting to sudden change. When the water recedes, it leaves traces—remnants of a flow that once was—marks on the land that speak of cycles, absences, and submerged memories.

This house emerges in the interstice between the presence and absence of water, as an architecture that dialogues with the temporality of the environment and the uncertainty of the future.

Climate change is altering water ecosystems worldwide. Reduced rainfall, rising temperatures, and human intervention have drastically decreased the flow of many rivers, threatening their existence in the coming decades. If the river were to disappear in 100 years, the house would remain as a ruin, a vestige of a time when water gave life to the landscape.

Its structure remains as a testimony to what was once a refuge by the water.

The design captures the essence of these changes, materializing into a house elevated on stilts that respects nature. The structure rests on the terrain as if floating, minimizing its impact on the topography and allowing the water to reclaim its place when the flood determines it. This elevated condition not only serves a functional purpose but also evokes the image of ancient structures left exposed when waters recede—a reminder of the fragility of our environment.

One of the key elements of the project is a large stone wall that runs through the house and the entire site. This wall accompanies the interior space, defines the transitional areas, and, in its path, also shapes the outdoor spaces until it reaches the river. Its presence generates visual and material continuity, becoming a guide for navigating the terrain.

The pier, conceived as a space for contemplation, along with the house, is built in wood. The gabled roof follows the region’s traditional architecture, harmoniously integrating with the surroundings. Its orientation allows for northern light exposure while also filtering the luminance gradient inside. It takes advantage of cross ventilation and integrates with the natural elements of the site, creating a synergy of gathering spaces…

The project stems from the desire to respect and integrate the surrounding natural landscape, taking full advantage of the magnificence of the Paraná River and the vegetation that embraces it. Our primary intention was to preserve as much of the existing flora as possible, creating spaces that not only adapt to the terrain but also engage with the landscape, maintaining a deep connection between the interior and the exterior.

The design of the building revolves around a grid, a system that dictates the rhythm of the house, following the lines of the land. The architectural volumes are the result of the voids left intentionally to preserve the pre-existing trees, allowing nature to integrate into every corner of the house. Each floor of the house gently descends toward the river, creating a succession of spaces that appear to emerge from the terrain, in a play of levels that mirrors the stratification of the river itself.

Each floor and space is designed to maximize the view of the river, with visual fluidity connecting the rooms through the presence of stairs, which become a privileged axis of connection, opening every area to the surrounding views.

The design of the rooms, each with direct views of the gardens and preserved trees, creates a sense of privacy and tranquility, immersed in the natural beauty. The materials chosen for the construction of the house are primarily brick, which provides warmth and solidity to the architecture. The walls perpendicular to the central walls of the house are clad with brick, playing with light and shadow, creating a suggestive visual dynamic that leads the viewer’s gaze toward the river, constantly shifting as the light changes throughout the day.

The heart of the house is the living area, conceived as one large, open space that includes the living room and kitchen, which open fully to the outside where a loggia with a barbecue area and swimming pool are located. This area faces west, towards the river, allowing for the maximum enjoyment of the golden sunsets that color the water and surrounding vegetation every evening.

The “La Juanita” house is not just a place to live, but a refuge that allows for a deep connection with the surrounding nature. In this setting, time seems to slow down, inviting contemplation and serenity.

The project is situated on a steep terrain, surrounded by a rich diversity of native plant species and in proximity to the Paraná River. Aware of the importance of the surroundings, the design prioritizes the integration of the house into the landscape, minimizing the alteration of existing vegetation and working with the natural voids in the terrain. This approach not only aims to preserve the ecosystem but also leverages the landscape’s characteristics to create a respectful and harmonious project. The relationship with the river, along with the analysis of potential flooding, plays a fundamental role in the conception of the design, with the preexisting structures serving as a key reference.

The house is organized through bands that articulate with one another, following the rhythm and variations of the terrain. These bands, positioned along the natural slope of the land, create a sequence of interconnected spaces, both indoor and outdoor, in constant dialogue with the landscape. Positioned parallel to the river, the bands create patios at different heights, promoting a continuous relationship between the living spaces and the environment. This arrangement responds not only to functional logic but also to an aesthetic need, ensuring each space extends from the landscape.

The distribution of the spaces is designed through a dual circulation system. On one side, the main access, oriented towards the Paraná River, allows for a smooth journey, visually connected to the natural surroundings. On the other side, the service areas are strategically placed to the south, optimizing natural light and freeing the main living areas to open up towards the surrounding views. This organization guarantees maximum solar light utilization and enhances the interior environmental quality.

The structure of the project is organized in a functional module of 2.26 x 4.52 meters, with a structural grid that respects the terrain’s geometry. The grid establishes a visual rhythm that is expressed through the architecture, highlighting the direct relationship with the landscape. The use of wood as the main material responds to the need for a sustainable construction that is in harmony with the surroundings.

Finally, the volumetry of the house adapts to the natural topography, with roofs positioned parallel to the slope of the land, with an 18% incline. This approach allows the house to settle organically within the landscape, without interrupting or altering the environment, but rather integrating seamlessly into it. The relationship between the roofs, bands, and voids generates a cohesive project that respects and enhances the site’s characteristics.

How do you create the perfect retreat? Here’s the answer.

Juanita is a place suspended between nature and possibilities. A corner along the Paraná River, born to escape the chaos of the city, reveals its still untapped potential. Now, that potential takes shape.

This villa is not a forced construction, but an idea of life that originates directly from the site. Here, architecture is a flow where light, materials and landscape overlap and rewrite each other, as if nature itself were guiding their dance, in a movement that never stops.

DESIGN AND INTERIOR SPACES

A space that speaks needs no words.

The villa is organized in distinct but connected volumes, separated just enough to ensure privacy. The entrance, designed to offer a gradual transition from nature to the home, is a passage between two worlds: a pathway meant to accompany, not interrupt.

The design of the interiors is perfect harmony, where every stone and wood surface interacts with light in a spontaneous and fluid manner. The large windows are not mere openings, but true panoramas that expand the space, merging with the river’s horizon. The house does not enclose, but guides the soul toward the surrounding landscape.

TAMING THE LIGHT

Light is not just a natural element; it is a material of design.

“Taming the light” is a foundational aspect of the spatial experience. It’s not enough to simply open windows; precision is needed. The living room cabinets are not just furniture, but true instruments of control: placed in an orderly manner, they capture and reflect light, distributing shadows with the same logic as an ancient sundial. The perforated walls, on the other hand, do not close off but reveal: they let the sun filter through in changing geometries, creating intimacy without ever denying the view.

SUSTAINABILITY AND LOCAL MATERIALS

Building does not mean invading, but listening.

This villa follows the construction principles of the Paraná, without forcing them. The adobe bricks ensure a comfortable internal climate without the need for invasive technologies. The local wood, worked with traditional techniques, defines the structure with lightness and strength. Palm fiber, used for insulation, is not just a sustainable choice but a return to the timeless construction logic: protecting from the climate by utilizing available resources, not fighting them.

The result is an architecture that does not need to declare itself sustainable because it is in its very essence.

CONCLUSION

The best architecture blends seamlessly into the landscape, becoming one with it.

This villa is just that: a retreat that adapts to the rhythm of the day, never interrupting the flow of nature but embracing it. Here, light is not something to look at, but something to live, to feel.

And so, in the quiet of Juanita, a new chapter begins. A place that embraces time, an architecture that does not ask to be seen, yet cannot be ignored. Because when something is done right, you recognize it instantly.

Yvyra Nupa, “wooden nest” in Guaraní, is a proposal for a single-family home in La Juanita, Entre Ríos, a neighborhood on the banks of the Paraná River in Argentina.Tempering the fast-paced rhythm of urban life, the design establishes a continuous dialogue with the riverside environment, promoting a seamless integration between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The strategic placement of the project maximizes natural light while minimizing impact on existing vegetation, carefully respecting tree locations and preserving the essence of the landscape.

Inspired by the region’s collective memory of riverside constructions, the house embraces traditional building principles that harmonize with the natural cycles of the river. Elevatedon a structure that adapts to the Paraná’s rising and falling waters, the design ensures minimal disruption to the ecosystem. This approach allows the home to coexist with its surroundings while maintaining the natural flow of the environment, respecting both the cultural and ecological heritage of the site. This design reinforces a sustainable and harmonious relationship between architecture and nature over time.

The main access to the house leads directly to the ground floor, cutting through the field and exposing above-ground a structure resembling a nest lightly resting among the trees. The house is organized into two levels: the ground floor and first floor. The former hosts social and recreational activities with a swimming pool, barbecue area, campfire, and landscaped park. Designed to enhance outdoor living, it extends the dwelling’s spatial boundaries into the natural surroundings. The spiraling staircase leads to the first floor, divided into three functional zones: i) the common living area, facing the river, which provides panoramic views; ii) the central service strip, which acts as a filter; and iii) the private area, with the bedrooms, which ensures comfort and privacy. The guest suite is connected to the house through an open transition space with a layout that allows for complete autonomy, offering the flexibility to function as an integrated extension or a fully independent unit. By facing the east and the west, the orientation of the house promotes cross ventilation, optimizing sunlight exposure and thermal comfort, resulting in reduced energy consumption.

The house integrates with its surroundings through low-impact construction techniques. The wooden structure simulates the traditional houses of the Paraná Delta and integrates with the natural environment, while the solid masonry base grounds the home. The house is made of local materials, including cane, wood, and stones, embracing a sustainable approach that minimizes its environmental impact. These materials, abundant in Argentina, reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation while enhancing the building’s integration with the landscape. The use of cane and wood ensures a lightweight yet durable structure, promoting natural insulation and thermal efficiency. Additionally, local stone provides a solid, low-maintenance base that anchors the house to the ground. The combination of these elements fosters a balanced relationship with nature, allowing the structure to age harmoniously within its environment. By choosing renewable and regionally available materials, the house not only respects traditional construction techniques but also promotes a more responsible and sustainable way of building.

The fundamental premise is the maximum preservation of the existing landscape, ensuring the construction maintains a constant dialogue with nature. The building’s placement was carefully planned to avoid significant impacts, preserving the original trees and enhancing the visual relationship with the river, which became the central element of the architectural experience.

The view of the river is prioritized in the social spaces, creating a visual and emotional connection with the local landscape. The social areas were designed as transparent environments, using glass as the main material to ensure this integration. This allows for natural light to enter and provides continuous views of the landscape, while the spaces flow organically, inviting users to enjoy the surrounding nature. In contrast, the private areas, represented by three isolated cabins, were designed to offer privacy and seclusion, with more solid and opaque enclosures, ensuring user privacy. This contrast between openness and enclosure creates a spatial dynamic that enriches the experience of inhabiting the space.

The project’s materiality was chosen to reinforce integration with the surroundings and create a striking visual contrast. Black-stained wood, glass, and exposed concrete make up the material palette, giving the project a contemporary yet natural aesthetic. The dark wood harmonizes with the vegetation, adding texture to the project, while the concrete and glass create a complementary language. The use of those materials reinforces the building’s permanence, ensuring it remains in harmony with the environment over time and allowing the materials, concrete, and wood, to age naturally, affirming the passage of time in their characteristics.

Access from the highest level occurs via a linear concrete axis that connects the social volume and the guest cabin, ending at a viewpoint. The social areas are arranged around a central courtyard, which embraces the original trees, creating a gathering space integrated with nature. This courtyard functions as the heart of the house, where users can come together and enjoy the preserved vegetation, along with a pool and sauna. The three-bedroom cabins were conceived as individual retreats, with strategic openings that allow natural light to enter and framed views of the landscape. Integration with nature is also reflected in the landscaping, which was carefully planned to complement the existing vegetation.

In summary, the project seeks to balance the relationship between architecture and nature, valuing the view of the river, contrasting open and closed areas, and using materials that reinforce the identity of the place. The proposal results in a contemporary, functional, and integrated dwelling. Every design decision was made with the aim of creating a space that not only meets functional needs but also inspires and promotes a deep connection with the local landscape.

Casa cava is nestled into the natural contours of La Juanita’s riverside landscape. The underground structure offers a private and comfortable living experience, creating a seamless integration into its environment by reducing its visual impact on neighboring homes, embracing the site’s existing vegetation, and leveraging thermal mass to maintain a stable indoor climate during hot summers and fairly chilly winters

The design consists of three separate structures beginning from a detached garage at the top of the site. The garage forms a threshold between the public street and the private family home, ensuring that the vehicles remain out of sight from the main house. Thus creating an unobtrusive entry before making the natural transition towards the office/guesthouse and eventually to the main house.

The journey down to the two other structures follows a winding slate-stone pathway, weaving through existing trees and complemented by a serene pond that doubles as a rainwater collector, introducing a biotic element to the entrance. Along the way, the office/guesthouse – designed as a liminal space- features a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom, providing autonomy and privacy for guests. Its strategic positioning reinforces a work-life balance by creating a physical separation, even for remote work setups.

A circular fixture, designed as an alternative access route, connects the entrance to the rooftop terrace and pool area. At its center, pre-existing trees highlight the integrity of the natural landscape and intentionally present the home’s central ornamental feature as a symbol of transition and respect for its environment.

The rooftop terrace and pool face north, capturing sunlight throughout the day to provide warmth and an ideal setting for outdoor living. This space is supplemented with a grilling area and bonfire for socializing as a family and with guests.

The roof of the main house is partly covered with low-maintenance vegetation, blending nature with human-made elements while contributing to energy efficiency and biodiversity. A verdant roof similarly covers the garage and the office/guesthouse.

The three structures embrace materials that resonate with the site’s natural character. Locally sourced Algarrobo timber is used for interior detailing, paneling, furniture, and door and window frames, creating warmth and contrast to the refined, stone-clad concrete structure. Additionally, locally quarried stone is featured in the flooring, grounding the design in its regional context. The curated material palette ensures durability while honoring the richness of local craftsmanship and resources.

The east facade of the home is deliberately private, with a discreet entrance flowing down the landscape. The descent down the main entrance’s stairs gives a glimpse of the river before crossing into the foyer, where the view unfolds across the main living area. Whilst the living area provides a maximized perspective of the view with plenty of natural light, the heated pool adjacent to the living area frames a reflective scene of the landscape, creating an enhanced sensory experience. On the other side of the foyer, the bedrooms are primarily oriented toward the south, allowing soft light to filter in, yielding a tranquil sanctuary.

“Impluvium” is an architecture deeply rooted in the Argentine landscape, a retreat that celebrates the profound connection between humans and their environment, between dwelling and outdoor living. Situated along the banks of the Paraná River, the house discreetly integrates into the site, dissolving into the morphology of the terrain and allowing the landscape to dictate the conditions of habitation. The project is developed around a clear and radical principle: architecture does not enclose, but amplifies the experience of space, acting as a threshold between sky, earth, and water.

The generating element of the project is the large roof, a monolithic presence in pigmented concrete, whose warm, earthy tones recall the adobe houses of the region, establishing a silent dialogue with Argentine vernacular architecture. The roof is not merely a covering element but a suspended mass that generates shade, provides shelter, and defines space while allowing the supporting walls below to emerge as independent volumes, housing the most intimate functions. Bedrooms and essential services are enclosed within compact, protected structures, while the living spaces extend outward, blurring the boundary between architecture and nature.

At the heart of the house lies the central impluvium, an empty space enclosed between the volumes, a transitional area between inside and outside, where time seems suspended. Here, the water of the pool reflects the sky in an almost metaphysical image that contrasts with the power of the Paraná River, always in motion, unstable and restless. Water thus becomes a dual element: on one hand, a force of nature; on the other, a contemplative retreat, a place of stillness and reflection.

Designed for a family of four with the capacity to host additional guests, the house is conceived as a space for gathering, rest, and shared experiences. Its social vocation is evident in the outdoor areas, which function as true extensions of the living space. The dining area revolves around a large communal table, accompanied by an open-air kitchen and a professional-grade barbecue, essential elements of Argentine culinary tradition. Nearby, a fire pit surrounded by seating serves as the symbolic center of the house, a focal point for gathering in cooler hours, a place where conversation and silence coexist, embraced by the darkness of the night and the vastness of the sky.

The materiality of the house is essential and carefully calibrated. The pigmented concrete, with its sculptural plasticity, allows the architectural form to express itself without distractions. Bespoke furnishings, crafted from wood and local woven textiles, reinforce the continuity between the built environment and the surrounding landscape, while the selective use of steel introduces a contemporary note, balancing tradition with modern craftsmanship.

Positioned slightly below the road level, the house preserves uninterrupted views of the landscape while minimizing its visual impact. Every design decision is an act of respect for the territory, a gesture of subtraction rather than assertion. “Impluvium” is not merely a built object but a spatial experience, a place where architecture becomes silent, allowing nature to take center stage in the act of dwelling.

The project is embedded within the riverbank as a compact element among the existing vegetation, seeking to become an integral part of the riparian landscape. The house defines a habitable perimeter and incorporates a portion of the surroundings that functions as a central patio. From the outside, the dwelling is clearly perceived, while inside, the boundaries blur, creating a fluid connection between spaces and nature.

The different functions of the house unfold in a sequence of rooms, where galleries provide hierarchy and organization while also facilitating transitions between the exterior and interior. One of them defines the main entrance, while the other directly connects to the Paraná River at the rear, establishing a seamless relationship with the landscape.

In the more private areas, strategically placed openings frame the landscape, inviting contemplation and creating a visual connection with the surroundings. In contrast, the social spaces are expansive and open to the outside through large permeable windows, allowing direct interaction with nature and fostering a continuous dialogue between the interior and the environment. These spaces are directly linked to the gallery facing the river, and together with the swimming pool, they enhance outdoor social life, reinforcing the project’s identity as a retreat designed for the enjoyment of nature and social gatherings, acknowledging the significance of communal moments in Argentina.

The architecture of the project is characterized by its raw and elemental nature, employing local materials that strengthen the connection with the environment. The construction system relies on a nearly equal combination of stone and earth, which shape the house’s walls. This material choice provides a warm, natural tone that contrasts with the dominant greenery of the surrounding landscape, granting the house a strong tectonic identity while integrating it subtly and respectfully into its setting.

The building’s structure is resolved through two complementary systems. On the perimeter, load-bearing walls clearly define the enclosure, where openings are later introduced to frame the landscape, establishing a precise relationship between the interior and its surroundings. This structural approach allows for an open central space, where the patio is supported by a minimal number of columns, enhancing spatial fluidity and permeability while fostering integration between the various living areas and reinforcing the connection with the landscape.