Open Closed House

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez

Open/Closed House 

Juan Pablo Aschner

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Juan Pablo Aschner

CONSTRUCTION
José Libardo Salas

MANUFACTURERS
Autodesk, Chaos Group, Alfa, Decoblock, Ladrillera Santafé, Trimble Navigation

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Lina Restrepo Y Laura Cuervo

THREE DIMENSIONAL IMAGES
Tr3s Estudio

TECHNICAL COORDINATION
Daniel Ronderos, Ae Architectural Engineering

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Jorge Hernán Murcia

HYDRO SANITARY ENGINEERING
Jorge Armando Granados

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Ingeniobras Civiles Ltda.

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
Alfonso Uribe

LAYOUTS
Juan Pablo Aschner

PHOTOGRAPHS
Mateo Pérez

AREA
1798 Ft²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
La Vega, Colombia

CATEGORY
Houses, Sustainability

Text description provided by architect.

This is a rest house for a family of three, a few kilometers from El Tabacal lake, Colombia.

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez
Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez

The area is 4100 feet above sea level and has an average temperature of 73 degrees Farenheit throughout the year.

The climate, humid and warm, determined the design of a cool house, which could be naturally ventilated, that could be kept open to the landscape during the day but that could offer insulation at night.

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez
Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez

To achieve this, lattices are used; suitable materials such as concrete blocks and ceramic roof tiles are used and a considerable interior height is proposed to dissipate hot air.

Bedrooms are to remain away from the two facades that receive greater direct solar incidence by means of ventilated circulations.

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez
Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez

The house is located on the only esplanade of an elongated sloped lot.

It has a completely closed facade to the east because in that direction and very close by is a neighboring house that looks directly over the lot; because the view in that direction has little interest and because the morning sun is very strong.

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez
Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez

By contrast, it opens completely to the west and towards spectacular mountain and valley views and towards scenic sunsets. Between the two fronts and thanks to multiple openings, cross ventilation and breeze transit are guaranteed.

The roof has significant slopes due to the large amount of water that can fall during the rainy season.

The general shape and configuration of the house is a deliberate contemporary reinterpretation of all the vernacular houses of the region.

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez
Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez

Houses that are all gabled and rectangular in shape and that have open porches in the front where families spend the afternoon talking with others and receiving the breeze under shade.

With an elongated floor plan, the house follows a distributive sequence that goes from the most social to the most private areas.

All wet and service areas are located on the eastern side and in succession for functional and economic reasons while creating a buffer zone between the areas served and the neighbors to ensure greater sound and visual privacy.

The kitchen, of broad proportions, takes advantage of the area of greater interior height and integrates with the dining room, the living room and the spectacular view of the Valley.

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez
Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez

The two bathrooms, in symmetry, have generous independent spaces for showers. Between the two showers is an interior garden of lush vegetation.

The two showers, separated from the inner garden only by low benches, offer an intimate bath experience but in direct contact with sunlight, breeze and vegetation.

It is a house of contrasts. Very closed to the east, very open to the west; that can be closed tightly when there is no one at home thanks to a ventilated facade system made with metal bars; but that can be fully opened when the family comes to rest, so that they can experience a shady dwelling in direct relation with the landscape.

Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez
Open Closed House
© Mateo Pérez


Open Closed House
West facade - open house
Open Closed House
West facade - closed house
Open Closed House
North facade
Open Closed House
South facade
Open Closed House
West facade


Open Closed House
Extruded plan
Open Closed House
Location plan
Open Closed House
Principal plan


Open Closed House
Detalle rejas
Open Closed House
Showers bathrooms and interior garden


Open Closed House
Section social zone
Open Closed House
Section kitchen and social zone


Open Closed House
Section facade
Open Closed House
Extruded Axonometry