Casa Canela is located in Agua Dulce, the coastal sector of Huentelauquén, in the commune of Canela, Coquimbo region. The house is located on a ground unevenness of about 5m, formed by strata exposed to the side of a ravine that historically had human presence dating back to B.C. Originally, a thatched-roof stone wall construction was located in the same place that was used as an outdoor meeting place that confirmed the privileged condition of the place both for its views and its location. Our main intention is to leave the least possible footprint in this landscape with the project.
We define the house on a single level, close to the ground without interrupting the relationship between interior and exterior. Then we define a roof as a minimum plane, supported on a stone wall 50cm thick and 2.60m high. This wall was built before the house, as a border between the East and the West on the ground. This wall defines patios and interiors of the house, as a backing to the spaces that face the sea and the creek.
The project is defined as a horizontal line that measures the horizon. Towards the East, the hermetic main façade through which you enter, and towards the West, completely open and transparent with the rooms open to the Pacific Sea. The roof and the rest of the supports of the house are in metal to achieve lights and lighter structural elements. The intervention is completed with landscaping using endemic species adapted to the area with low water demand.
