Ovenbird House / BAUEN

Architects: BAUEN
Area: 467 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Darío Mereles, Daniel Ojeda
Lead Architects: Aldo Cristaldo Kegler, José Cáceres
Participants: Dina Agüero, Jaia Vida, Romina Irala, Saúl Acosta
Town: San Bernardino
Country: Paraguay

Ovenbird House, designed by BAUEN, draws inspiration from the ovenbird’s nature of building protective homes, mirroring the goal of creating a family space. The house features two volumes that rise from the natural terrain, using materials like aluminum and glass to create a light, airy atmosphere while maintaining volumetric solidity. The use of rammed earth integrates the architecture seamlessly into the landscape, avoiding an invasive feel in its natural context. Its southwest orientation promotes ecological sustainability by reducing the need for cooling and artificial lighting, ideal for San Bernardino’s warm climate. Inside, the combination of alternative materials and strategic design creates a comfortable microclimate, ensuring fluidity between spaces and a sense of intimate shelter that blends harmoniously with the natural surroundings.

“There, if the mud is soft,
sings its sincere joy.
I would like to be an ovenbird
and make my hut singing.

As its house is the center
of all love and skill,
he takes it out of his head
and puts his heart inside.

He works it in straw and mud,
he works it beautifully,
that in mud and straw
is a bizarre architect.”

“El Hornero” – Leopoldo Lugones

A renowned ornithologist once remarked, “For the hornero (ovenbird), to build is to protect,” when describing the bird’s constructive lifestyle. Similarly, families build their homes with the same intent, aiming to create a space where life unfolds, providing room to grow and welcome loved ones.

The two volumes rising from the natural terrain demonstrate that volumetric solidity does not equate to heaviness. Materials like aluminum and glass give the façade a lightness, creating an airy experience inside. These rational volumes, housing a mainly residential program, along with horizontal elements, establish a dynamic yet harmonious formal language.

The expert use of rammed earth integrates the project seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. The material’s natural texture ensures that the architecture harmonizes with the site, avoiding any sense of intrusion into the natural environment where “Los Horneros” is located. The building’s southwest orientation further enhances its sustainability, as it helps reduce the need for cooling and artificial lighting throughout the day. This orientation, designed from the project’s inception, is ideal for a warm climate like San Bernardino’s, making it both ecological and efficient.

Inside, the combination of alternative materials, such as the walls and the building’s strategic orientation, creates a comfortable internal microclimate for users. The design of “Los Horneros” also emphasizes spatial fluidity and functional movement, allowing seamless transitions between the houses and their natural surroundings while providing a sense of intimate and familiar shelter.