丨智利丨Lucas Maino Fernández

Architects:Lucas Maino Fernández

Area:319m²

Year:2024

Photographs:Marcos Zegers

Lead Architect:Lucas Maino Fernández

Category:Houses

Design Team:Macarena González, Samuel Carmona

Construction:Casas Lanco

Engineering & Consulting>Structural:Matías Zúñiga

City:Villarrica

Country:Chile

Text description provided by the architects. Strategically located between the Villarrica Volcano and Lake Villarrica, Casa Miradores sits atop a hill on the northwest slope. This privileged natural setting offers panoramic views of the lake, the volcano, and the native forest, shaping a central landscape that inevitably influences the conceptualization of the project.

The project rises above the terrain on a single platform, upon which two independent volumes are arranged, articulated by a central space. Each volume opens in opposite directions, highlighting contrasting views: on one side, the native forest and the volcano; on the other, the lake. This arrangement promotes the functional autonomy of the home, allowing for partial or total occupancy according to needs. The central space, conceived as a vestibule or access hall, serves a dual function: to connect and separate, thus enabling a flexible use of the whole.

The main volume houses the essential program of the home, including the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, a guest bedroom, and a study that connects to a lookout platform oriented towards the volcano. This unit opens to the northwest, maximizing the entry of natural light. The secondary volume contains two guest bedrooms and a terrace open to the landscape. Unlike the first, this one is oriented to the southeast, generating a completely contrasting luminous experience that enriches and complements the project.

The materiality of the project is based on a main structure of steel and SIP panels, ensuring thermal and structural efficiency. The exterior cladding combines pre-painted zinc and black-impregnated wood, providing protection and a sober, contemporary aesthetic. Inside, vitrified pine floors were used, while the walls are clad with sawn pine with a bleached finish, creating a simple, warm, and bright atmosphere.

Casa Miradores is conceived as a sensitive response to its environment, where the layout, orientation, and materials engage in dialogue with the natural landscape and its changing conditions. Through a volumetric strategy that promotes flexibility and contemplation, the project achieves an intimate and diverse living experience, deeply connected to the land.

Project gallery