Architects: En Obra Arquitectos
Area: 1000 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Mariano Imperial
Design Team: Luis Cisneros, Rosario Hillebrand, Sofia Falcón, Eugenia Sosa Abab.
Collaborator: Facundo Casales
Contractor: Narciso González, Albaro Franco
City: Buenos Aires
Country: Argentina
Pirca House, designed by En Obra Arquitectos, is situated in the Costa Esmeralda neighborhood near Pinamar. This residence leverages its unique topography with a defining wall that supports the structure, optimizes the lot’s qualities, and employs materials like exposed concrete and local stone to minimize maintenance in the coastal environment.
Bordering the coastal city of Pinamar, the “Costa Esmeralda” neighborhood is part of a series of urban development projects. Surrounded by forests and coastal dunes, the area is bounded by the Argentine Sea to the east and National Route No. 11 to the west, encouraging both small and large-scale residential growth. Casa Pirca is located within this neighborhood on a rectangular lot, characterized by a significant longitudinal slope that divides it into two levels, which is its most distinctive feature.
In response to this topography, a wall was designed to create two distinct levels on the terrain, with a volume resting on top of it. The term “Pirca” refers to walls that serve as containment for embankments, delineate roads and paths, or enclosures commonly used by Andean peoples for cultivation.
Applying these ideas, the wall proposed for this complex lot serves multiple functions along its length: it creates the entrance and garage space, contains the slope, supports the house, provides storage space underneath, and defines the boundaries of the pool.
The functional design aims to maximize the lot’s unique qualities and optimal orientation, presenting a pure volume of closed concrete on the south side and open on the north side. As a summer residence, it uses materials that require minimal maintenance, crucial for the coastal area. The construction combines exposed concrete and local stone to emphasize the purity of materials.
Black anodized aluminum carpentry offers both shine and transparency. The furniture, integrally designed throughout the house, is made of white lacquered MDF boards, enhancing the synthesis and neutrality that the house aims to convey both functionally and formally.
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Project Location
Address: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
