Casa Hualle is a 230m2 family home located in the southern Araucania region of Chile, renowned for its natural beauty. Sitting on a gently sloping site in the rural foothills of the Villarrica volcano and the lake below, the house embraces this natural environment and the outstanding views afforded by its privileged setting. The two-storey building form and orientation is a response to this sloping terrain of the land and the microclimate of the area.
The house sits on the central brow of the land, taking advantage of the aspect afforded on all sides by this elevated position. Approaching by road the house appears as a prominent simple black form on the hillside, reminiscent of large agricultural pitched-roof sheds found of the area.
The house is clad in vertical dark-stained softwood slats to resemble some of the buildings in the area that are clad in the black volcanic stone of the region. Dictated by the internal views to the outside landscape, the windows vary in size and position, creating a seemingly random composition on the building exterior.
In contrast to the dark exterior the interior walls are lined in pale stained plywood. Emulating the folding geometry of the roof structure the ceiling flows sinuously for the entire length of the interior. Exposed concrete floors, incorporating black volcanic aggregate, contrast with the pale walls and ceiling. Text description by the architects.
