The assignment consisted of designing and executing three 70 m2 social housing units. With simultaneous construction on adjoining land in the community of La Florida, Santiago.
Project name: Los Geranios
Architectural Office: Layla Jorquera Sepúlveda
Construction completion year: 2019-2021
Built area (m2): 210
Location: La Florida, Santiago
Program: Residential
Instagram: @laylajorquera
Contact email: layla.jorquera@gmail.com
Office location (City, Country): Santiago, Chile
Photographer credits: Layla Jorquera Sepúlveda
Prefabrication
The project had to be prefabricated, since the three plots of land have very limited areas, which did not allow for the stockpiling of debris and storage of materials.
The main problem to be solved was already posed, so the construction system was key in the design of the three houses. A steel skeleton was chosen as the main structure (IC-L-square profiles), which was assembled off site, only to be assembled and welded on site. While all the secondary structure is made of galvanized steel.
The Place
The neighborhood is of great diversity, colors and textures that are found in each of the houses that were built by hand and over the years (in the beginning irregular settlements), none is the same as the other.
Most of the land enclosures are opaque, with little visual contact with the surroundings and pedestrians. From there, another problem to be solved in urban terms is how to open the properties and the block, taking into consideration that it is a corner lot. The aim was to open the plots to the outside.
Volumes and light
In Chile, the southern orientation is the most unfavorable in terms of sunlight and illumination. Hence the decision to play with the slopes and position of the volumes, seeking direct sunlight. And together with the design of the skylights, we went from a potentially shady volume to a luminous one.
The second floor roof was designed to be sloped, with the purpose of a constant entry of light and north sun; but at the same time maintaining the privacy between the project and its neighbors, thus reducing the shadows cast on the second floor.
In the two floor volume there is another volumetric act that is to “lift”. On the one hand, to give surface to a parking lot, and on the other hand, to give luminosity to the kitchen/dining room. All the spaces were used, converting many of them into closets and desks.
The pandemic and the challenges
The pandemic was part of the challenge of the execution of the work, on the one hand, the stock out of materials, and those that were available were purchased online. The houses were assembled through virtual catalogs.
While other items that were to be prefabricated and outsourced, had to be made directly on site. Designing and welding on site, such as the exterior enclosure of each plot with expanded metal, the structure of the fixed kitchen/dining room window, the staircase and finally the handrail.
Therefore, the work started as a prefabricated project and ended as a craft project, reviewing every detail, every joint directly on site and with unique pieces.
“The good craftsman understands the importance of the sketch and claims the unnecessary nature of an excessive finished knowledge of the details, which will be outlined during the process”.
(Richard Sennet, The Craftsman)
