#medllin

[radicalgraff]

Stencil seen in Medellín, Colombia

[gorgeousnessss]

[civilizedwilderness-blog]

SANTA ELENA HOUSE, 2009 LOCATION: MEDLLIN, COLOMBIA ARCHITECT: ANTONIO SOFAN

I WANTED THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE TO CONTINUE ITS COURSE SO THE HOUSE IS ACCESSED THROUGH A VERY DISCRETE OPENING ON THE ROOF DECK EMPHASIZED BY A PINK MOSAIC WALL. THAT IS ALL WHAT IS PERCEIVED FROM ABOVE; THEREFORE I CALL THIS VIEW THE MAIN FAÇADE. AS THE ROOF DECK FOLDS DOWN IN SECTIONS STOPPING AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS THE SCENERY FAÇADE GETS GENERATED FRAMING DIFFERENT VIEWS ALONG A LINEAR CIRCULATION PATH. IT’S ALL ABOUT HELPING NATURE TO MOVE WITH THE ARCHITECTURE FORM. I THINK I HAVE ACHIEVED THAT WITH THE USE OF MATERIALS AND THE WAY ONE ARTICULATES WITH THE NEXT IN PROGRESSION. THE CLIENT REQUESTED A SPECIFIC PROGRAM OF TWO BEDROOMS, (ONE AT EACH END), TWO BATHROOMS, SMALL KITCHEN AND MEDITATION ROOM. NO LOUNGING AREAS EXCEPT FOR THE ROOF DECK WHICH OCCASIONALLY WOULD BE USED AS A PLATFORM FOR YOGA. ALL OF THESE SPACES ARE LINEARLY ARRANGED AND THREADED BY A CIRCULATION FACING DE VIEW. AS ONE WALKS ALONG, DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE LANDSCAPE ARE REVEALED. THERE WAS NO NEED TO PROVIDE A HEATING OR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE CLIMATE GETS BARELY COOL AT NIGHT SO INTERIOR MATERIALS LIKE CORK PLANK FLOORING HELP MAINTAIN THE HEAT CAPTURED DURING THE DAY. THE HOUSE IS ROOFED WITH A WATERPROOFED VERY THIN AND SLIGHTLY SLOPED CONCRETE SLAB. DISPOSABLE BAMBOO BOXES WERE ARRANGED ON A BRICK PATTERN AND USED TO FORM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SLAB WHILE IT WAS BEING POURED. THAT IS A VERY TRADITIONAL METHOD OF CASTING CONCRETE IN THE AREA WHILE IT PROVIDED AN INCREDIBLE CEILING TEXTURE. STORM WATER IS COLLECTED TO THE BACK OF THE ROOF DECK AGAINST THE SLOPE OF THE HILL IN A CONCRETE CHANNEL DRAIN WHICH RUNS THE WIDTH OF THE HOUSE. THE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD DECK SYSTEM SIMPLY SITS LEVELED ON THE CONCRETE SLAB. PLANKS ARE SEPARATED SO THE WATER FILTERS THROUGH AND DRAINS DOWN.