Bertha Heathcote
Argentinian studio Andres Remy Arquitectos has completed the Black House project in 2007. This 3,552 square-foot residence is located in a gated neighborhood, 45 miles away from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“The black house was born by the request of a young couple, brought to us by another of our projects “The Waterfall House”, which gave us the challenge of improving what we had done at that moment, taking advantage of the freedom they gave us during the design.
The analysis of the lot showed us the advantages and disadvantages we should take into account along the entire design process.
The surrounding houses and the wide lot marked the visuals we should use. In one side are located the common areas, such as the kitchen and the dinning room.
On the other side is located the living room, closer to the lake. The shallow pool that divides the house in two allows the indirect light to bathe the interiors, as the northern sun reflects it’s light on the water surface.
Both programs are connected by a glass bridge, with the water running under your feet. It was thought in a lower level than the rest of the house, making it permeable and allowing the ambients a clean view to the lake.
At the front are located the bedrooms for the future children, with views to the lake. As a bridge, joining the two volumes in the lower floor is the main bedroom with a giant overhang that conquers the best views to the lake, seeming to float over the water.
The Black House has an almost provocative sobriety, where the pure white in the inside provoques an emotive contrast with the absolute black in the outside, reminding the bite of an apple.
