Patagonia Complex

Text description provided by architect.

The Patagonia complex is located along a small bay in a lake in Southern Chile.

The lake’s main feature is its lack of access by land, only made available by boat.

The assignment was to design a set of houses for a very large family where all the enclosures and common spaces face the lake and volcano, the area’s iconic geographic landmarks.

The location and its surroundings; a flat land with an unobstructed view towards the lake and volcano, oriented towards the North, to make the most of the natural light, with a shady native forest behind it that covers the whole hill and works as a natural wall protecting the land from the wind and rain.

The houses are built on a single level where independent volumes are raised sharing a common space in between for family gatherings.

The availability and distribution of materials and labor in the area were some of the many difficulties that were overcome.

The design incorporated local materials such as wood cladding, which was used for ceilings and walls; stone, used in structural walls and, quadroline cladding for the exterior, which has low maintenance costs and high durability in the face of extreme climate conditions in this area.

The project has a small environmental impact since it is capable of producing all the energy that requires through a series of photovoltaic panels installed on the roof, and stores the energy in batteries inside the houses.