Based in Chile, ERRE Arquitectos built the Casa Ferran, a stunning low-profile holiday home located in Matanzas. Placed on the coast of Chile, the home occupies 240 square meters, in the form of a U-shape, on the edge of a cliff, which drops majestically down to the Pacific Ocean. The home was designed by Raimundo Gutiérrez of ERRE Arquitectos
Designer: ERRE Arquitectos
While building the holiday home, the architect paid immense consideration to three important factors. He wanted to provide protection against the southwestern wind, privacy on the north and south sides, as well as ensure access to stunning views of the sea. The U-shaped form of the home helped very well in this. It causes the house to point away from the ocean, owing to a protected central courtyard on the slope connected to the sea via a glazed common area.
“What the project seeks is to generate a transversal and permeable axis in the east-west direction, which connects two exterior areas with dissimilar characteristics through the interior common area. The rest of the program is arranged to contain and give shape to this axis,” said the studio. The home consists of two major wings on either side of the main central volume. One wing includes three bedrooms and two atriums with plants, while the other wing angles outwards and holds the covered parking area, which further leads to the guest bedroom and service zones.
The main central volume houses the kitchen, living, and dining areas. The volume is marked by floor-to-ceiling windows, that allow light to stream in throughout the day. Sliding glass doors connect the space to the covered patio. The central volume is transparent and open. The home is built from black-colored steel, with the exterior clad in pine boards, which beautifully contrasts the steel. The interiors, on the other hand, feature a delicate white theme accentuated by warm wooden flooring. Each wing has been gifted with a planted green roof. “The design responds to elements of organic architecture. However, formally rigid features appear, which are the result of several variables, conditions, and demands that were presented,” concluded the studio.
