GB House / EmA Arquitectos

Architects: emA Arquitectos
Photographs: Marcelo Cáceres
Year: 2015
City: Quintero
Country: Chile

GB House, designed by emA Arquitectos, is a permanent residence located in Mantagua, 8 km from Concon, Chile. This project evolved from previous weekend house designs, utilizing a similar structural system to reduce construction times while accommodating a more complex program. The house includes a small office with an independent entrance, enabling one owner to work from home. Situated above Mantagua’s wetland and Ritoque’s dunes, the house enjoys expansive views and a natural environment ideal for outdoor activities. The design features two volumes, with dark exterior cladding of black-painted wood and rusted steel contrasting the soft-colored interiors.

Following the design of several weekend houses, emA Arquitectos developed a home with a similar structural system intended as a permanent residence. This approach reduced construction times despite a more complex program, which included larger areas and more rooms. Also, the design incorporated a small office with independent access, as one of the owners desired to work from home.

The commission arose when the owners decided to leave the city of Santiago and move to the coast, seeking a better quality of life. They chose a quiet location that provided a natural environment outside the city but was still close enough for commuting. The city of Concón would serve as the workplace for one of the owners and the future school location for their children.

Mantagua, a small neighborhood 8 km from Concón, was selected as the location for the house. The site is situated atop Mantagua’s wetland and Ritoque’s dunes, both protected natural areas that offer excellent outdoor activities such as kayaking, bird watching, and hiking.

The home is positioned on the edge of Mantagua, overlooking an area of steep gorges. This location provides a considerable distance from other constructions and offers extended views of the sea and the dune landscape.

The house’s location and the layout of the living areas position the social spaces at the edge of the site, at the beginning of the slope, where boldos and peumos (native species) mark the edge of a terrace oriented to the southwest. The design comprises two volumes: the main volume organizes nearly all the enclosures, while the second volume, perpendicular to the main one, includes living areas, the dining room, and terrace spaces that frame views of the Pacific Ocean and the dunes of Ritoque.

The house features dark siding, with black-painted wood on the second floor and rusted steel on the first floor, contrasting with the interior rooms’ soft colors. This creates a less formal permanent residence in a privileged environment.