Norwegian architecture studio LCLA Office and architect Clara Arango have created a house on the slopes of the Andes that blurs the boundaries between architecture and the environment. It was erected as an ideal frame for nature, where wild vegetation is complemented by the plantings of landscape designers.
One house rises four meters above the ground on a cruciform column, and the other – long and partially buried – is fixed by a retaining wall. These design solutions reveal two different approaches to working with a slope: the volume that is closer to the ground seems to be cavernous in nature, and the other is airy. Both structures have a different emotional atmosphere. However, the materials chosen for the two buildings are the same: concrete formwork, stainless steel fittings, and repetitive window profiles. This turned out to be a justified decision because, with small areas (a raised house of only 60 square meters, and a long house – of 75 square meters), the interiors seem more spacious.