Loft Lo Curro / Matías Silva Aldunate Architect

Architects: Matías Silva Aldunate Architect
Location: Santiago, Chile
Collaborators: Eduardo Guimpert
Constructor: Rodrigo Cañas
Land Area: 4,000 sqm
Area: 140 sqm
Year: 2011
Photographs : Courtesy of Matías Silva Aldunate Architect

The idea was to develop a workshop-studio that houses the arts and the entertainment of a Greek philanthropist. This is a different project that stimulates the senses and becomes a place that allows people feel disconnected and isolated from the urban environment. The land on which the loft is located is a large hill with big trees and abundant vegetation, where you can find spectacular views of the city. In order to maintain its status as a Park, we chose to work with the outdoor landscape by appropriating the vegetation of the neighbors since there are no fences.

We decided to make two separate locations that are located at each end of the ground and which are related by different internal routes, which were carefully designed.

Location 1: Workshop room, kitchen-dining room, Desk-Bedroom, and Bath-Sauna. The internal organization of the loft was based on a concrete floor plan. From the inside you can see the city through a vegetal portico of double height.

Location 2: Barbecue area, pool, bathroom and cellar. This place generates a transversal section in the natural terrain and organizes the loft in a linear way.

Both locations are related through different paths creating rest and contemplation areas.

The materials chosen are mainly striated concrete blocks and metal structures lined in rusted steel. These materials simultaneously become supports for climbing plants that will eventually convert large concrete walls into plant (green) walls. To enhance the vegetation we took advantage of the slope in order to conduct the waters and water the vegetation in a natural way. Also, the loft is integrated into a landscape of lush trees.