The project team presented a description of Pousada Rural La Reunión, which is located on a vast area in the outskirts of Rauso, in the province of Buenos Aires. This location is situated within a rare and dense forest zone, contrasting with the open landscape characteristic of the region.
The project began with the restoration of a small existing rural structure, preserving its compact volume and austere character as a starting point for changes. The intervention carefully maintains the simple geometry of the original building, reinforcing the continuity of the white walls and reorganizing its openings. Access to the building is marked by an arch built into the thickness of the masonry, clearly denoting the transition from the external environment to the interior.
In front of the building, brick paving forms an arrival area and creates a transitional space facing the wooded landscape. Inside, the original layout was reorganized around a central covered space covered with a light glass structure. This area functions as a climate regulator and is the main social area, uniting the kitchen and common rooms. Vegetation is integrated into this space, and light is controlled by a suspended textile system under a semi-transparent covering. Furthermore, the intervention transformed the core of the building without altering its original perimeter.
Bedrooms are located along the perimeter of the existing structure, maintaining their proportions and original materials. Ceramic floor tiles are preserved wherever possible. New elements, such as metal window frames, furniture, and storage systems, are designed using simple and demountable systems, updating the building's functionality without competing with its existing structure.
The project is conceived to accommodate various forms of temporary shared living, including friends' gatherings, periods of collective remote work, and accommodation for artists or researchers. The spatial organization allows for alternating private and common areas without use conflicts, offering different levels of privacy and simultaneous occupancy. Thus, the guesthouse functions as a place of residence and as cultural infrastructure on a domestic scale, introducing a new purpose into the local context.
Pousada Rural La Reunión is viewed not as a finished work, but as a structure open to future expansions. The project foresees the gradual inclusion of new elements on the site, such as a pool, an open amphitheater, a cafe, the restoration of an existing barn for multi-functional use, and an observation tower. These elements, developing over time, will expand the complex's capabilities, strengthening its purpose as a place for meetings, cultural production, and temporary stay.
The Refúgio La Oveja project is located in Cerro Castillo, in Chilean Patagonia. This territory is notable for its vast landscape, strong climatic variations, and the characteristic isolation of Austral Patagonia. Given this large territorial scale, the strategy adopted by the project is concentration. The architecture was designed to create an interior that is precise, compact, and efficient. The main objective of the design is to provide shelter and comfort to the occupants, contrasting with the adverse conditions of the external environment.
