07_ “Club de Campo” Buildings
with a very simple construction: a small base with two exposed concrete benches flanking it on the inside, on top of which this small brick pavilion is built. Its longer sides—east and west—are formed by two facing privacy walls, while at both ends—north and south—the volume is completely enclosed by two opaque walls. The structure is completed by a wooden floor and upper beams that support the roof. Two 1.5-meter-wide pivoting doors open in the center of the pavilion, defining a three-opening entrance: one larger central opening and two smaller side openings. The natural light that filters through the exposed brick walls at differ- ent times of the day is undoubtedly the most important element of the project. We could say the same about any architectural project, but in this case, where there were no resources to build this space, the empty spaces in the exposed brickwork literally allowed these walls of light to be constructed, bringing life to the new “parrón” (pergola) for the Club Hípico gardeners. !
09_ Prefabricated Modular Steel Housing The project addresses the problem of housing shortages through in- dustrialized prefabrication, seeking economy in design and materiality by incorporating steel as a set of modular parts that can be assembled quickly, dryly, and efficiently. The bathrooms in the west rooms were enlarged, with a patio and outdoor shower, and boxes were created as terraces facing the Cordillera de la Sal mountain range, with folding glass panels that allow them to be integrated into the interior. ! single heart; a block of saunas in the center, creating new spaces around it. Access to the central module is through an orange-colored metal mouth, leading to an installation of recycled ceramic sky tears on a block of desert marble. Some rooms were merged to create four suites, each with a living room, suspended fireplace, terrace, patio, and private garden with a pool facing Licancabur. They were clad in black Leaf Panel wood and raulí wood. All rooms were given covered terraces with adjustable slatted pergolas to control the sun, shade, and view of the starry skies. In the project phase (competition), a three-story house is proposed with 54 m² of living space, easily expandable to 81 m², allowing for an additional 27 m² of outdoor areas given the site's climatic conditions. During the implementation and construction phase, a two-level design was chosen, offering 54 m² of floor space that can be expanded to 72 m². The prototype offers different options. On the one hand, it allows for a three-tiered construction with better standards in terms of square meters, where its operation can be adapted according to family composition (two or three groups arranged by floors, like a small family collective), or else, it can be built on four levels, enabling two stacked units in the style of a duplex. The system allows for semi-detached or detached construction without losing its architectural qualities. Thanks to its galvanized steel frame design, innovative envelope, floor, and prefabricated elements, it can be assembled in 20 days. It also has the highest CEV rating, a photovoltaic solar system, hygrothermal climate control, and gray water reuse. The project is designed by Tomas Villalón Arquitectos and led by the Acerolab alliance [www.acerolab.cl], comprising the Steel Innovation Center, Cintac, Aza, Volcan, Jonas, Bbosch, Sinestesia, ICHA, and the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at Universidad de Chile. With the collaboration from the following companies and individuals: SB+, Ecological, AMCS, Vidrios dellorto, Servijeg, CONDISARQ, Yoseth Ramirez Ing Constructor, Sergio Córdova Ingeniería, HCC, Comgrap, and the Civil Engineering departments of Universidad de Chile, Universidad Católica del Norte, and Universidad de Antofagasta. The project is being carried out within the framework of the Modhabitar competition developed by CTEC, funded by the Regional Government of Antofagasta, CORE of Antofagasta, and the Regional Innovation Strategy of Antofagasta. ! At 2,500 meters above sea level and on the northeastern edge of the Atacama Salt Flat lies Toconao (meaning “place of stone” in the Kunza language), a small oasis at the mouth of the Jere Ravine, whose waters fertilize the family gardens that have historically providedww work and food for just over 800 members of the ancestral Lickanantai community, before they disappear under the soil of the world's driest desert. 10_ Toconao Educational Center
pedestrian walkways and gardens, creating life and activity at the city and neighborhood level. The slab of the first two floors is constructed towards the streets it faces with a colonnade of rhythmically modulated pillars for an adequate connection with the ground, creating a dense and proportionate structural order. At the same time, and in order to increase living space, a plinth floor surrounded by English courtyards has been created to accommodate a 1,120 m² open-floor-plan with separate access for use by the Insurance Association as a training and education center. The main entrance hall has double height and is located on the east side, accessed via Andrés Bello Avenue and the walkway surrounding the first level. The rest of the floor comprises seven commercial premises, accessed via bridges crossing the English courtyards of the plinth. The offices occupy 13 floors from the second to the 14th floor. They are open floor plans measuring 790 m² with great flexibility and an eccentric vertical circulation core, with five elevators, staircases, and bathrooms. The structure is designed with post-tensioned flat slabs and beams and circular reinforced concrete pillars. The facades are clad with aluminum curtain walls and thermo-paneled glass. Photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof to generate part of the electricity for the facade's ornamental lighting. At the keel of the building, which forms the urban corner fac- ing the void of the Mapocho River, is a bronze sculpture by artist María Angélica Echavarri, complementing the architectural ensemble with art. The project is LEED Gold certified and has three underground levels for parking and mechanical services. !
In order to carry out this Club de Campo building project, it was first necessary to complete the extension of Avenida Monseñor Escrivá de Balaguer, which runs in front of the project. In addition, a street called Club de Campo was built, connecting Avenida Monseñor Escrivá de Balaguer with Avenida Las Condes. This made it possible to achieve the constructability and height nec- essary to define the building's dimensions, which comprise the project's master plan for apartments and offices. The current phase, which includes three apartment buildings, is designed so that a second phase can be carried out in the near future, incorporating office buildings in addition to housing. The current project comprises three apartment buildings organized around an interior garden with native vegetation. The 15-story north building has four 200 m² apartments per floor. The east and west buildings, also 15 stories high, have nine apartments per floor, ranging from 40 to 86 m². The first floors of the east and west buildings house multipurpose recreation and meeting rooms. Parking spaces were avoided on the first floor throughout the property, with cars being parked in three un- derground garage levels. The roofs of the three buildings feature leisure areas, outdoor dining spaces with barbecue facilities, and swimming pools. The north elevation of the main building was designed in an undulating shape, which is oriented according to the curves, towards the different views of the landscape. Its double-glazed windows on the balconies provide protection from radiation and noise. Aluminum blinds were incorporated on the east and west buildings' terraces to also prevent excessive horizontal radiation and control privacy. The difference in apartment sizes did not mean a need for status differentiation; coexistence depends on spatial organization and archi- tectural design. !
04_ The Pine Tree House
This project consists of a house to provide shelter for a family in har- mony with the surroundings of the upper area of Viña del Mar, whose temperate climate and coastal valley are infiltrated by pine forests and numerous ravines. The design is conceived from its structure, in an organized succes- sion of 26 frames (axes A-Z), very similar to each other, and spaced 122 cm apart, from start to finish. These frames, with a very light, slender composition of knots and joints, give body to the house´s supporting structure, from which the architectural space is configured. Wood emerges as the most suitable material to work with the tectonic language. A grid of 122 cm by 122 cm is defined in order to optimize the available lengths of wood, and half-lap joints are used to ensure the spatial configuration according to the project's programmatic needs. The frame structure transfers its loads to the ground, each frame resting lightly on piles, minimizing the house's impact on the landscape. In addition to being its bones, they are the sincere expression that is always visible, both inside and outside the house. The frames also adapt to the topography and landscape, decreasing in height from east to west, creating a distinct spatiality between the bedroom area (private) and the living/dining/kitchen area (public). The frames were pre-assembled on site, speeding up the assembly and construction process. Likewise, all the materials used were manufac- tured nationally and close to the site, thus reducing the carbon footprint compared to other construction materials. These primary bones, filled with light, strategically fill their edges with opaque walls to the south to provide privacy from the neighbors, and are transparent to the north to allow light and ventilation to enter. In the same grid, the circulation areas that surround the house are projected towards the exterior, supported by the same structural frames. The ramp to the south accompanies the light courtyards, partial interior views, and accents in the vegetation. The corridor to the north accom- panies the landscape and topography of the terrain, transforming into stairs and steps leading to the garden. !
06_ The AMA Project
On a 225.1 m² plot of irregular geometric land located in a traditional mixed-use neighborhood in Concepción, a building was designed for commercial use and workspaces on different levels. The program was organized into five levels connected by a system of stairs arranged asymmetrically within the building. More than a simple circulation element, this system was conceived as a discontinuous, disorienting, and stimulating route, defined by turns and breaks that create changing perspectives and integrate views of work areas and the geographical environment. At the same time, this functional layout had to respond to the efficient use of space, articulating a sequence of useful areas for workshops, offices, and work areas, without sacrificing the location's stimuli and attributes. Aware of the positive impact that interaction with nature has on work- spaces, priority was given to the visual relationship with the vegetation and trees of Cerro Caracol, a defining feature of the area. The orientation, height, and geometry of the openings were carefully designed, creating controlled entry according to the conditions of the different seasons and times of day. The result is spaces that promote users' well-being, creativity, and quality of life. At the end of the project, a rooftop terrace was designed with a view of the coastal mountain range, the Biobío River, and the city's bridges. With regard to seismic considerations, a steel structure was chosen as the main support, complemented by SIP panels in slabs and walls. The steel is not hidden: it is displayed as a visible structural grid that supports, organizes, and constitutes an essential part of the building's expression. The design assumed the steel structure as an expressive and integrat- ing component. Understanding that it should not only fulfill a technical role, but also actively participate in the interior image and spatiality, as well as in the configuration of furniture and supports. The south facade exhibits and highlights the structure's value, where the braced diagonal grid plays with the views and captures a large amount of natural light, blocking direct sunlight while showcasing the materiality of the work. !
08_ The Tierra Atacama Hotel
Built in 2007, after 17 years of intense activity, during which the realities and demands of the hotel industry in the area have changed, and fol- lowing the pandemic, its owners have taken on the task of remodeling it. While maintaining its spirit, rescuing its magnificent foundation and overall layout, it is being enhanced, renovated, and adapted to new needs. Working together with part of the original team—Teresa Moller on landscaping, Carola Delpiano on decoration, and Miguel Purcell as man- ager—we revived the work with local artisans and proposed travertine marble from quarries in the desert near the Loa River as the predominant material. The entrance courtyard, originally an adobe bullring that welcomed cattle traffic from Bolivia to the Chuquicamata mines, was transformed by the landscape architect into a desert oasis, with chañar trees, carob trees, and other native species, set among blocks and slabs of travertine marble. It features walkways, seating areas, and a water fountain—alluding to the ancient myth of Pakarina as a spring that flows from the rock as a source of life in the desert—which prepares us to take the ramp leading to the Licancabur volcano that leads us to the hotel lobby, a space where everything happens, under different overlapping flat roofs, clad in raulí and black woods, like a shadow over the luminous rustic marble floors. With a living room, dining room, library, bar, all around a new fireplace in the center, on a rock brought from the mountain and worked on site. The spa was darkened with black wooden ceilings to give it more privacy. The fireplace and isolated cubicles were demolished to create a
05_ Conecta Costanera
By merging four plots of land located on the southeast corner of An- drés Bello Avenue and La Concepción Street, totaling 2,579 m², Vida Security Insurance Company commissioned us to design a mixed-use building with Class A+ offices on the upper floors and commercial premises on the ground floor. Taking advantage of the Providencia community's urban regulations created by architect Germán Bannen to provide private spaces for public use, the building is surrounded by
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