Modern Villa In Punta Del Este

Built in 2011 - Architect Marcio Kogan
Lot: 12,000 m2 Built: 1,000 m2

The house is located on an open lot next to a reservoir, in the countryside near the city of Punta del Este. From the outset, the residence’s location on this open land posed the challenge of creating private spaces that were, to a certain extent, protected from the elements. The solution adopted from the outset was a single-story house that, on one side, overlooked the reservoir’s waters; and, on the other, an interior courtyard delimited by stone walls, which ultimately delimit all the spaces in the house. Another fundamental concept was the organization of a clear and simple floor plan based on a flat slab structured by rationally distributed pillars and supported laterally by stone walls. Beneath this slab, a wooden box contains the bedrooms (facing the reservoir) and the kitchen and laundry room (facing the courtyard). At the ends of this wooden box, two fully glazed living rooms organize the house’s collective program. And, beneath the roof, near the stone wall that delimits the space on the south side of the house, there is a grill and a covered gallery that opens onto the pond and courtyard.

At the ends of this wooden box, two fully glazed living rooms organize the house’s collective program. Under the roof, near the stone wall that delimits the space on the south side of the house, there is a grill and a covered veranda that opens onto the pond and courtyard. At the front of the house, facing the water, a large terrace and pool constitute the main external living space of the project. The construction used local materials, such as flagstone for the walls and floor. The wooden box is composed of folding checkered mashrabiya panels, allowing for internal lighting control. These doors can be fully opened.

The flat slab was made of exposed concrete, following the logic of using rustic materials even in the structural elements. Little by little, the land around the reservoir begins to take over the house. Wildflowers embrace the house, and atop one of the stone walls makes its home a hornero, which, according to local tradition, is a sign of good luck.