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Architects: Estudio Arzubialde
- Area: 36 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Federico Cairoli
Text description provided by the architects. From the outside, when observing it, we feel like we've known it all our lives. It is a little house; we have drawn it as children, we have seen it in some place, it reminds us of a rusty shed in the middle of a field. We can imagine it in many worlds. It is an icon that transports us and reminds us of home, inviting us to come in.
Its structure is made up of small pieces of wood of a single dimension. A type of lightweight and low-impact framework construction that was materialized by a single person. This was decisive in the design of the pieces, which should be easily manipulable, light but resistant.
Two types of structural units are manufactured on the ground and then assembled: one functions as a column, the other as a roof truss; both are made of 2"x2" pine slats. Once assembled, they serve as support for both the enclosure and the shelves, and they are presented inside naked, like a skeletal framework.
On the exterior, the reddish-colored sheet metal is placed horizontally, eliminating the need for borders and closing elements. At the same time, the truncated roof trusses are articulated with curved sheet metal, creating a ventilated air chamber throughout the ridge, significantly improving the thermal insulation conditions of the enclosure.
The openings are resolved with recycled windows, and since it is a small bookstore and library, they are limited to a minimum, controlling and filtering the direct sunlight, and placing a larger window towards the south to take advantage of diffused light. These openings are strategically located to direct the views and avoid eye contact with neighboring houses, creating an introspective space.
Upon entering, we feel like we are in the belly of the whale, or inside the hold of the ship that is in search of it.
