Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos
Mountaineer's Refuge
Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos
29. December 2017
Photo: Federico Cairoli (All photographs courtesy of v2com)
The design brief was for a small cabin with a roof, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom – the necessities for resuming the mountain trek begun the day before.
Project: Refugio para un montañista (Mountaineer’s refuge), 2016
Location: Comuna de San esteban, V región, Chile.
Architect: Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos
Lead Architect: Gonzalo Iturriaga Atala
Surface Area: 60 m2
Photo: Federico Cairoli
The proposal involved building, through planes and angles, a structure that provides an entrance through its folds and exterior views through its cuts. Built around a central core of services, the exterior shape and interior volume are defined by the folds.
Photo: Federico Cairoli
At one end of the cabin is the bedroom, along with a storage room for mountaineering equipment. The other end features a sitting area where the nearby mountain draws the eye toward the panoramic view.
Photo: Federico Cairoli
The exterior is finished in pine, metal elements and picture windows that perform both structural and volumetric functions.
Photo: Federico Cairoli
The cabin rests on piles, making it a self-contained object suspended above the ground. The building is ventilated on all sides; the updraft from the mountain provides airflow through a series of dedicated openings.
Photo: Federico Cairoli
This is the point of arrival and departure for the mountaineer’s treks. It is not just a lookout and a shelter, but a special place for contemplation and relaxation. It is a true refuge.