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ACFA House
ACFA House
Zapallar, Chile
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ACFA House
Zapallar, Chile
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2022
SIZE
3000 sqft - 5000 sqft
The Form
The most common question that arises about this house is: Why this shape? There are many ways to answer that question, but it all stems from the study of sacred geometry, the essential form of things, of plants, of life itself. In the gestation of life, a sphere appears first, then it duplicates, becoming two, then three, equidistant spheres forming a morula. If we project these spheres onto a plane, we get the three terraces of the house. A fourth sphere then emerges above the other three, generating the central habitable circle. One of the five Platonic solids is the tetrahedron (a pyramid with a triangular base). If we project a sphere from each of the four vertices of a tetrahedron and then map these onto a plane, the same shape emerges. In this way, the form is present in many expressions of nature.
This is how the project begins with the form, which is then inhabited—a reverse process from what many architects are accustomed to, where form is a result. This house starts from the desire to inhabit this shape, almost like a large-scale installation, a spatial experiment. It required letting go of preconceived concepts in the world of architecture, breaking free from prejudices and standards, and escaping the typical phrase we often heard during our studies: "Start with straight lines." The challenge was to approach architecture from a different perspective. Everything was designed from geometry, not based on measurements; the spaces were organically generated by the geometry of the form itself.
The house is resolved in 450 square meters, where all the spaces have natural light, everything faces outward, and circulation occurs around the central room of the house, forming a circular corridor—a paradise for the children’s bicycles. Since the house is circular, all spaces are bathed in sunlight at different times of the day, and the central room is illuminated through the pool's water by six windows placed at its bottom. In a way, the house functions like a sundial, allowing one to experience the different phases and lights of the day.
The House
The construction process of this project was also a challenge, as all the steel structures were fabricated in Santiago, then shipped to the site and assembled using a crane. Double-T beams up to 16 meters long were used in the construction, some extending freely without support. It was an interesting process, full of learning, where the client, the builder, and the architect worked closely together for every maneuver. The foundations used were screw piles—literally large galvanized steel screws that are driven into the ground, instead of using concrete foundations.
Once completed, certain architectural aspects emerged that were not anticipated. Living in the house and moving through its interior gives a sense of closeness between spaces, despite its 450 square meters; everything feels more connected. This was a positive surprise, as only two people live there, making the house very manageable and flexible. It’s as if the house adapts depending on how many people are living in it. This happens because of the spacious areas, all of which are connected through the center.
The most common question that arises about this house is: Why this shape? There are many ways to answer that question, but it all stems from the study of sacred geometry, the essential form of things, of plants, of life itself. In the gestation of life, a sphere appears first, then it duplicates, becoming two, then three, equidistant spheres forming a morula. If we project these spheres onto a plane, we get the three terraces of the house. A fourth sphere then emerges above the other three, generating the central habitable circle. One of the five Platonic solids is the tetrahedron (a pyramid with a triangular base). If we project a sphere from each of the four vertices of a tetrahedron and then map these onto a plane, the same shape emerges. In this way, the form is present in many expressions of nature.
This is how the project begins with the form, which is then inhabited—a reverse process from what many architects are accustomed to, where form is a result. This house starts from the desire to inhabit this shape, almost like a large-scale installation, a spatial experiment. It required letting go of preconceived concepts in the world of architecture, breaking free from prejudices and standards, and escaping the typical phrase we often heard during our studies: "Start with straight lines." The challenge was to approach architecture from a different perspective. Everything was designed from geometry, not based on measurements; the spaces were organically generated by the geometry of the form itself.
The house is resolved in 450 square meters, where all the spaces have natural light, everything faces outward, and circulation occurs around the central room of the house, forming a circular corridor—a paradise for the children’s bicycles. Since the house is circular, all spaces are bathed in sunlight at different times of the day, and the central room is illuminated through the pool's water by six windows placed at its bottom. In a way, the house functions like a sundial, allowing one to experience the different phases and lights of the day.
The House
The construction process of this project was also a challenge, as all the steel structures were fabricated in Santiago, then shipped to the site and assembled using a crane. Double-T beams up to 16 meters long were used in the construction, some extending freely without support. It was an interesting process, full of learning, where the client, the builder, and the architect worked closely together for every maneuver. The foundations used were screw piles—literally large galvanized steel screws that are driven into the ground, instead of using concrete foundations.
Once completed, certain architectural aspects emerged that were not anticipated. Living in the house and moving through its interior gives a sense of closeness between spaces, despite its 450 square meters; everything feels more connected. This was a positive surprise, as only two people live there, making the house very manageable and flexible. It’s as if the house adapts depending on how many people are living in it. This happens because of the spacious areas, all of which are connected through the center.
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