{"id":514366,"date":"2026-01-14T01:13:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T01:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/514366\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T01:13:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T01:13:21","slug":"iragu%cc%88en-vin%cc%83uela-experiments-with-prefab-timber-in-chile-for-casa-si","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/514366\/","title":{"rendered":"Iragu\u0308en Vin\u0303uela experiments with prefab timber in Chile for Casa SI"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prefabricated<\/a> wooden elements were used to create the “orderly” square-shaped Casa SI by Chilean studio Irag\u00fcen Vi\u00f1uela Arquitecto, which is perched on a hilly site near the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n

Serving as a primary residence for a couple relocating from northern Chile, Casa SI sits within the hilly outskirts of Algarrobo, a coastal resort town. It was built on a gently sloping site within a rural subdivision, where there is limited planning and regulations.<\/p>\n

\"HouseIrag\u00fcen Vi\u00f1uela Arquitecto has created Casa SI in Chile<\/p>\n

Santiago-based Irag\u00fcen Vi\u00f1uela Arquitecto<\/a> sought to create a home with its “own atmosphere”, and one that would capitalise on views of the natural terrain.<\/p>\n

“Positioned at the edge of the subdivision and oriented outward, the house benefits from expansive views \u2013\u00a0toward a lush ravine to the south and the ocean on the western horizon,” the studio said.<\/p>\n

\"BlueIt was placed on a sloped, coastal site<\/p>\n

The project also enabled the architects to explore the potential of prefabricated timber construction and create a design that was “rational yet warm”.<\/p>\n

“Beyond its structural grid and efficiency, we were particularly interested in the expressive potential of timber,” the team said.<\/p>\n

\"PrefabricatedPrefabricated elements were used in the design<\/p>\n

The resulting design consists of two volumes \u2013 a single-storey main dwelling that has been completed, and a two-storey guest house that is planned for the future.<\/p>\n

Lifted above the ground, the square-shaped main dwelling measures 13 by 13 metres. It was constructed using timber elements \u2013 made of radiata pine<\/a> \u2013\u00a0that were prefabricated and assembled on-site.<\/p>\n

\"WindowThe studio wanted to show the expressive potential of wood, while having a rational design<\/p>\n

The frame is composed of glued-laminated<\/a> elements, while partitions were made using pressure-treated timber. The cladding is painted pine siding.<\/p>\n

“This approach, which required meticulous coordination with the supplier, significantly reduced construction time and minimised interpretation errors, as the structural components arrived on-site like a giant puzzle,” the team said.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorThe interior is set up as a grid<\/p>\n

A one-by-one-metre grid<\/a> governed the placement of structural components and other elements. For instance, perimeter doors and windows adhere to a strict one-metre module, and secondary beams are spaced exactly 50 centimetres apart.<\/p>\n

The system corresponded to the prefab construction method the team selected, and “resulted in an orderly, easy-to-build structure that also offers spatial richness and variety”.<\/p>\n

\"ViewsThe ocean views were deemphasised to account for future development in the area<\/p>\n

Within the structure, the grid gives way to more freely dimensioned spaces.<\/p>\n

Small rooms \u2013 containing bedrooms and service functions \u2013 were placed in the corners of the square plan. The central portion is a large, open space that holds the kitchen, dining area and living room.<\/p>\n

Two visual axes \u2013\u00a0north\/south and east\/west \u2013 intersect in the central space. Large stretches of glass offer views in all directions.<\/p>\n

\"DeckThe house has two partially covered decks<\/p>\n

“From this central point, one can visually grasp the cardinal points, the full depth of the house, the site and the surrounding landscape,” the team said.<\/p>\n

The ocean sits to the south and is visible from the home. While the architects could have used a linear layout oriented toward the coast, they opted “for a centralised organisation that gives prominence to all landscape views”.<\/p>\n

\"ChileanThe property was planted with drought-resistant plants<\/p>\n

“We recognised that, since the site is not in a first-row coastal position, ocean views might become obstructed over time by new developments,” the studio said.<\/p>\n

“Moreover, the other landscape views had inherent and more permanent value.”<\/p>\n

To the east of the dwelling is a wooden deck, which acts as both an entrance and a scenic overlook. There is a xerophytic garden with drought-resistant plants and a large pine tree \u2013 one of three mature trees that contributed to the project’s composition.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Guillermo Acu\u00f1a raises seaside annexe on forest of red-painted pine stilts\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Another deck is found on the western side of the house, while the southern elevation overlooks a swimming pool<\/a> tucked into the sloped site. The team took care in designing the connective elements and pathways.<\/p>\n

“A network of paths and outdoor staircases interconnects these elements, creating a circuit that encourages full engagement with the site and its natural surroundings,” the team said.<\/p>\n

The architects added that the design makes the most of coastal breezes and cross-ventilation. It also enables natural light to flow in from multiple directions at different times in the day.<\/p>\n

\"ChileanIt was designed to make the most of coastal breezes<\/p>\n

The use of a timber-based prefabrication method allowed the architects to create a home that is efficient and orderly, yet not sterile.<\/p>\n

“The rhythm of exposed beams and columns, the presence of diagonal bracing, the slenderness of structural elements, and the material’s natural texture all contribute to a distinctive architectural language,” the team said.<\/p>\n

Other projects by Irag\u00fcen Vi\u00f1uela Arquitecto include a two-storey ski cabin in Chile<\/a> with a gabled roof and wooden cladding. Tucked into a cluster of trees, it was constructed atop the foundation of a former building project that had not been completed.<\/p>\n

The photography is by Pablo Casals Aguirre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Project credits:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Architecture:<\/strong> Irag\u00fcen Vi\u00f1uela Arquitecto
Team:<\/strong> Daniel Irag\u00fcen, Claudio Vi\u00f1uela, Gustavo Schweitzer, Vicente de la Maza, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 \u00c7aldumbide, Alexa Napp,Victor C\u00e1rcamo
Structural engineering:<\/strong> Roberto Stocker Lagos
Structure provider:<\/strong> Timber Ingenieria
Sanitary:<\/strong> Marcelo Santiba\u00f1ez
Gas:<\/strong> Manuel Gonzalez Ponce
Topography:<\/strong> Enrique Osorio
Contractor:<\/strong> Mario Cuevas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prefabricated wooden elements were used to create the “orderly” square-shaped Casa SI by Chilean studio Irag\u00fcen Vi\u00f1uela Arquitecto,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":514367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[168936,648,1032,4515,140431,1033,171,67601,135928,25017,186946,92915,92916,67,132,68,5953],"class_list":{"0":"post-514366","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-architecture-on-stilts","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-chile","12":"tag-chilean-houses","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-mass-timber","16":"tag-prefabricated-buildings","17":"tag-residential-architecture-and-interiors","18":"tag-seaside-architecture-and-design","19":"tag-sectionall","20":"tag-sectionarchitecture","21":"tag-united-states","22":"tag-unitedstates","23":"tag-us","24":"tag-wood"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115890802471475543","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=514366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/514367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=514366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=514366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=514366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}