This house is located in Las Coronillas, a compound of private estates situated in José Ignacio, Uruguay. The hilly area is elevated above the sea level and allows breathtaking views of the surrounding farmland and vineyards, the José Ignacio lagoon and the ocean. The commission was a vacation home for a couple and their child. Having lived in Italy, the client was passionate about design.

 

Connected to nature, the site provides a profound sense of peace and privacy. The vast extension of the 14-acre lot and the idea of a casual lifestyle inspired us to develop the program in one level.

 

All the rooms were accommodated facing the lagoon and the west exposure. For that reason, to ensure shade, we created a very deep covered patio as the central outdoor living space and the core of the house.

 

The floor plan was designed with five main areas: the family wing with the living spaces and the bedrooms, the guest wing, a courtyard, the swimming pool and the covered patio as the element that articulates and connects them all.

 

Three premises motivated the creation of the courtyard: to get protection from the prevailing winds, to provide intimacy and to regain the human scale.

 

The house has two very differentiated sides: a blind front elevation providing privacy and a completely open back elevation granting the best views. All the glass openings are protected by generous overhangs.

 

Indoor and outdoor fireplaces were respectively designed for the living room and the covered patio, considering the use of the house during the off season.

 

The structure was built with reinforced concrete. The exterior was finished with exposed concrete and hardwood siding. In the interior, the walls were finished with plaster and wood boards, and the floors, with large slate tiles.

 

The morphology of this summer house that, without urban restrictions, spreads gently across the land, relates with the serene and relaxing sensation of laying down under the sun.