Wanka House, designed by Galera Estudio, is located in Cariló, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Located in a beach resort town, the home is a marvel of contemporary design: hip, stylish, and comfortable. The living room and dining room floor opens in three faces in order to incorporate the forest to the inside; thus, the boundary between the interior and exterior melts away. The kitchen closes to the south. The barbecue area, as a natural extension of the inside, is directly related to the swimming pool. Towards the rear façade, the dining room floor opens to an intimate terrace and below it, in the natural terrain level, a fire pit and grill becomes the perfect meeting place to be next to the fire. At Wanka House, the architects sought to generate different situations by strolling around a path. A ramp drives us to the entrance and, as we walk along it, we acknowledge and appreciate the surroundings: the garden, the forest, the swimming pool, the ponds, the sound of the water, the sunshine on the water and its reflection on the concrete-, always walking around a column. As we get closer, the value of the column is made evident as we become aware of its imposing scale. By the time we reach the front door, the height is reduced and we feel comfortable, we are eager to go inside.
The architects set out the experience of getting into the house through a defined circumnavigation of the structure while we, little by little, incorporate the forest, the water, the sea breeze, and start enjoying as we leave our routine and the chaotic stress of living in big cities behind. We become aware of the place where we are and start our vacations even before entering home.
Photos by: Diego Medina
