Architects: Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos, MasArquitectos
Area: 4521 ft²
Year: 2020
Photographs: Aryeh Kornfeld, Roland Halbe
Manufacturers: Jansen, A-Cero, Anodite, Bercia, Dialum, Interdesign Chile, Kohler, Melón Hormigones, Schüco, Silent Gliss, VitrA
Lead Architects: Alex Brahm y Antonio Polidura
Collaborator Architect: Hernán Fournies
Landscape: Juan Grimm
Structures: Alberto Maccioni / Bming
Consultant: Daniel Alemparte
Lightning Design: Bárbara Greene / Greene During
Interior Design: Rodrigo Castillo / Proimagen
City: Zapallar
Country: Chile
“S” House, designed by Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos + MasArquitectos, is a second home located in Punta Pite between Zapallar and Papudo, Chile. Situated on a 6500m2 plot with a steep 20-meter slope, the house features a horizontal plane for living space. The design includes two overlapping volumes for public and private areas, with the lower volume blending into the terrain. The upper pavilion, with transparent public spaces, is supported by 21 steel columns. Landscaping by Juan Grimm aims to restore the pre-existing flora and fauna, integrating the house seamlessly into its surroundings.
Punta Pite is situated between Zapallar and Papudo, approximately 150 km north of Santiago, Chile. This site, true to its name, is a rocky point extending into the sea. The project involved designing a second home for a couple and their three children.
The 6500m² plot has a steep 20-meter height gradient (20% slope). The project’s primary objective was to create a horizontal plane for inhabiting this slope, utilizing a large podium that integrates the landscape, ocean views, and sunsets.
The design separates public and private spaces into two overlapping volumes, connecting all house areas with the natural terrain. This approach minimizes the house’s presence in the landscape; when on the upper floor pavilion, the rest of the house is hidden.
The lower volume, housing the bedrooms, is excavated into the terrain and blends with the surroundings using visible concrete dyed with black pigments and unbrushed board formwork. This material choice allows the structure to transform over time, resembling the existing rocks in the ravine.
The pavilion above the bedroom volume contains public spaces and is fully transparent, defined by a concrete slab supported by 21 steel columns.
To avoid walls or necessary diagonals for bracing the roof, the column height was minimized (230 cm), and a three-sided amoeba shape was designed to aid seismic behavior.
This design reduces the roof height and slab surface area, enhancing horizontal views and the relationship with the exterior space and horizon. The three public programs on this level (living, dining, kitchen) are located on each side of the amoeba and are recessed circles.
Landscaping by Juan Grimm aims to restore the pre-existing flora and fauna in the ravine, reclaiming what existed before construction. Once the project is completed, nature will fill the interstices left by the architecture, making it appear as though the house has always been there.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Zapallar, Valparaíso, Chile
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
