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Ancla 2
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TO CREATE A PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WORLD THROUGH A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE GARDEN, THE LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM SEPARATED BY A FOLDING GLASS WALL.
Ancla 1
The house was designed as the intersections of two ideas: a living gallery (spacious and with ample wall space) and a summer house (open and informal). The dramatic elevation change from the north and south boundaries of the property resulted in a project that was cantilevered, raised, and levelled in relation to the existing site conditions. This created opportunities to introduce passive cooling strategies throughout the house such as thermal mass and cross ventilation.
The project is divided into three indoor program parts – the back wing, the front wing and the low quarters – as well as three outdoor program spaces: the front, back and lower gardens. The back wing is oriented East-West and houses all the private spaces – bedrooms, bathrooms, walk-in closets. It is raised 0.75 M to allow the north wind to cool down the slab at night and through radiation to lower the temperatures of the bedrooms eliminating the need for fans or air conditioning. The orientation of the wing also responds to the idea of creating a private zone for the family, the back garden.
The front wing is oriented north-south and contains all the public spaces – gallery, living, dining, studio, kitchen, playroom. Half of the wing sits on the ground and the other half is in cantilever. The front wing is oriented towards the southeast acting as a tube that brings the cool breeze from the southeast across all the spaces. The back wing acts as a backdrop and spectator.
The entrance hall is designed as a gallery space with zenithal light around a central stair that connects the upper and lower ground floors. The low quarters contain all the large format art storage, support rooms, general storage, mechanical and service functions as well a guest suite with independent access and its own private garden. This area is buried underneath the area of the front wing which is in direct contact with the ground and acts as a cooling chamber for the upper functions.
The House had to be built in 6 months with a very limited budget. Therefore, the use of steel was preferred for all the framing while concrete panel infills and cast in place concrete were used for the foundation and service spaces. All the glazing systems are single panes suspended from the ceilings without the need for aluminum framing. The living and dining spaces are visually and physically connected to the main garden through an 8 meter fully-collapsible glass wall. The effect when fully open is not only positive in terms of comfort, but also in blurring the boundaries between private and public space. When the house is open, it provokes the feeling of a ‘beach house.’ The breeze, the noise, the smells, the music, and the visual richness and eclecticism of the art collection blend in one continuous space.
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