Chauriye Stäger Architects have designed the Corredor House, a home near Santiago, Chile. Facing the breath-taking mountain range of the Andes towards the South and the East, and looking onto a rolling, luxuriant valley of almond trees to the West, the house is located eastward next to a water reservoir, which has become an integral part of the surrounding landscape. Composed of two solid blocks, each with a second floor, the building centers around an internal void, and connects mid-floor using a stairway and access ramp. Parts of the outside walls include impregnated pinewood, and are used as decking for the balconies that ascend up the sides, gradually transforming into eaves.
The ribbon serves as balcony, eaves and wall, and adapts according to the new topography required by the staggered mid-floor layout. The Corredor House was built to resemble its environmental and natural surroundings, evidence of which can be seen throughout its design both inside and out. Materials play a fundamental role for the integration of the house within its natural surroundings. Visible board-formed concrete is used in most of the house, except for the basement walls, which are covered with the stones that were excavated during the foundation building phase. These pebble-like stones were split to expose their rough side. The third important material is impregnated pinewood, which is used as decking for the balconies and goes up the sides to transform into eaves. The program is composed of two solid blocks, each with a second floor, articulated by a central void and connected mid-floor by a stairway and access ramp. Finally, the house includes various elements of oxidized metal, such as the main entrance door and the sun louvers that conceal the service areas.
