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    Insulation made of discarded sheep wool used for Argentina guest house

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    Local studio DUB Arquitectura has created a metal-clad house called Casa La Escocesa, which features “insulating blankets” made of sheep wool that otherwise would have been incinerated.

    The 150-square-metre project is located on a farm in Argentina’s subtropical Pampas region, which consists of agricultural fields that stretch over flat plains. The building site is surrounded by crops, sheep and polo horses.
    DUB Arquitectura has designed a metal-clad house with insulation made of sheep’s woolLong and rectangular in plan, the building sits atop a platform and is covered with a gabled roof. The house was designed by DUB Arquitectura, a studio based in Buenos Aires, to follow the site conditions and to allow for future expansion.
    The interior is divided into four main areas: a kitchen and dining room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a multi-purpose attic space. A breezeway lies at the centre of the plan.
    Plywood was used abundantly within the house”The central patio serves as an outdoor distribution hall and a space for meeting and contemplation of the surrounding and eternal landscape,” the team said.

    When choosing the building’s materials, the team opted for low- or no-maintenance options, to minimise the project’s operational energy.
    The insulation thickness varies around the houseFacades are clad in corrugated metal sheets, and plywood was used abundantly within the house.
    Discarded sheep wool was used for insulation, making use of a local product. The team said 4,000 tons of sheep wool are discarded yearly in the province of Buenos Aries.
    Solar panels line the gabled roofThe insulation thickness varies around the house, depending upon the orientation to the sun.
    “The house was used as a case study to implement the first insulating blankets made from discarded wool from this particular region, which is usually burnt,” the team said.

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    “Now, the house is measured every season to test the evolution of the material, which is showing great performance.”
    Glazing was minimised in certain areas, yet the home remains filled with natural light. Above the bathroom and the main corridor, the team introduced skylights to reduce reliance on artificial light.
    Special vents provide ventilation in the atticAll rooms feature cross-ventilation and sun protection on windows, including the attic, where special vents provide ventilation during warm months.
    Other projects involving sheep wool include an English sauna by Architects Holiday that has red shingles and insulation made of recycled plastic and wool, and a Chilean house by Team Citic that consists of three gabled volumes with sheep wool insulation.
    The photography is by Fernando Schapochnik.
    Project credits:
    Architect: DUB ArquitecturaArchitect in charge: Angie DubCollaborators: Belén Butler, Tabatha Walter

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      Estudio Ebras and Hause Möbel create live-work concept with VR and desert-influenced spaces

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      This space with futuristic “virtual reality” style LED strip lighting was designed by Argentinian firm Estudio Ebras and furniture brand Hause Möbel to be used as both a home and an office.

      The temporary Green Home Office project was created for the Casa FOA 2024 architecture and design exhibition in Córdoba, Argentina, inside an under-construction building complex named Pocito.
      At the Green Home Office, an immersive workspace features a grid of LED lights to mimic a virtual reality environmentEstudio Ebras was presented with a windowless space to transform into a flexible environment designed to facilitate both living and working, using furniture from Argentinian brand Hause Möbel.
      Entry to the 110-square-metre space was through a low, warmly lit antechamber that offered options to turn left into a compact workspace, or right into the larger central area.
      Entry to the exhibition was via a compressed, warmly lit antechamberThe dark, “immersive” office was panelled with wood veneer squares between strips of LED light that formed a grid across the walls and floor.

      “The immersive space features a luminous grid that simulates the grid of virtual reality,” said Estudio Ebras. “On one side is a desk, and on the other, a chaise lounge for resting and transporting us to a natural environment in virtual reality.”
      The space was divided into the immersive office and a larger room decorated in desert huesReached via a short cork-floored corridor, the living space featured peach, orange and rust hues that created a contrasting desert-like aesthetic.
      “Upon entering the central area, a change in scale is perceived due to its dimensions and height,” Estudio Ebras said.
      The larger space was designed for both living and working, and echoes the desert-like climate of CórdobaIn place of windows, the designers worked with a light artist to install illuminated, elongated pill-shaped panels behind translucent floor-to-ceiling curtains.
      The light panels displayed sunset colours, while soil and dried plants ran around the perimeter to evoke “a mountainous, wild, and arid landscape typical of the area”.
      Suspended over a dining or meeting table was a light fixture with rings of LEDs insideCurved-edge surfaces flowed into one another, such as a kitchen counter that swooped down from one wall and extended along another.
      In the centre of the room was a large table that could be used for either dining or meetings, accompanied by four orange chairs on castors.
      A separate space with sliding glass partitions was intended for video calls or quiet contemplationOverhead, a rough-textured fixture housed concentric rings of LEDs that gradually ascended inside the structure.
      At the end of the room, a bench was suspended from the ceiling, shaped to frame the trio of “window” lights behind.

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      A separate space for quiet contemplation or taking video calls was tucked behind the entry corridor wall and closed off by sliding glass panels.
      This small room was lined with cork and furnished with a purple two-seater sofa. “The acoustic box allows for privacy to make a call, work with a laptop, or, within a home-like setting, provides recreational space,” said Estudio Ebras.
      The installation also included a bench that hung from the ceilingAs the project’s name suggests, it was designed with sustainability in mind, and a carbon footprint analysis was conducted throughout the design, exhibition and dismantling processes.
      To offset the installation’s footprint, native trees were planted in nearby Cerro Champaquí with the help of local nonprofit organization Fundación Sembradores de Agua.
      In place of windows, panels illuminated to mimic a sunset were installed behind translucent curtainsRecently completed projects in Córdoba include a house with weathering steel screens, a home lifted above a sloped site and  an office building wrapped in perforated metal.
      The photography is by Gonzalo Viramonte.
      Casa FOA 2024 took place 3 May to 2 June 2024 in Córdoba. For more events, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.

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      Moroni Ciovini and Ana Montero expose textured concrete walls in Buenos Aires shop

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      Local architecture studio Moroni Ciovini and designer Ana Montero have preserved the exposed layers of concrete wall for this bookstore and café in Buenos Aires.

      At just 247 square feet (23 square metres), Medio Pan cafe is just large enough to fit seating, a bar and bookshelves, which are located at the back and front of the store.
      Local studio Moroni++Ciovini and designer Ana Montero have completed a café and bookstore in Buenos AiresFor the shop’s interior, Moroni Ciovini (M++C) and Montero created a furniture unit of multilaminate guatambú wood that makes up the shop’s seating, bar and posterior bookshelf.
      A narrow bench runs along the length of the shop, facing the bar, so that visitors can get a closer look at the barista’s work, according to the team.
      The team preserved the original flooring and textured walls of the spaceStorage was integrated below the bench, while small wooden armrests were placed periodically and double as side tables.

      The seating runs directly into the bookshelf, which expands over the entrance to storage space at the back of the store. A chainlink fence extends from the top of the bookshelf to meet the ceiling.
      They created a wooden furniture system for the space that consists of seating, a bar and a bookshelfOn the opposite side of the bookshelf, a wider bench takes up the corner, providing a nook for visitors to more “calmly” enjoy a book.
      The cafe bar takes up the remaining space, with its front abutting the shop’s facade to double as a window counter.
      A soft green was used in tiles, paint, and textilesThe team created folding glass doors for the storefront, which can be arranged in a variety of positions. Small shelves were affixed to the doors, which display a changing parade of books held down by neon green elastic and small wooden pins.
      According to the team, the folding doors were created to evoke newsstands found throughout Buenos Aires.

      Florencia Rissotti uses curtains to organise Buenos Aires fabric shop

      The space was completed with soft green highlights, found in backsplash tile, cushioning and pillows that line the wooden seating, a curtain at the back of the store and Formica countertops.
      The layers and patterns of the textured concrete walls were kept largely preserved and covered with a transparent coating to display the space’s previous uses, while the team also decided to keep the original granite tile as a nod to the building’s history.
      The storefront was informed by newsstands found throughout Buenos AiresMoroni Ciovini is a Buenos Aires and Valencia-based architecture studio founded by Christian Moroni and Belén Ciovini.
      Elsewhere in Buenos Aires, designer Florencia Rissotti recently renovated a warehouse to host a fabric store and architects Julio Oropel and Jose Luis Zacarias Otiñano created a bio-art installation focused on fungi.
      The photography is by Fernando Schapochnik
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Moroni++Ciovini, Ana Montero Construction: Estudio KO

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      Florencia Rissotti uses curtains to organise Buenos Aires fabric shop

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      Local architect Florencia Rissotti has converted a warehouse into a textile shop in Buenos Aires, using fabric dividers to organise the space.

      To house a retail location for fabric shop Tienda Mayor, Rissotti integrated textiles in several ways, lining the store with samples, draping colourful patches over a staircase and using curtains to conceal and create space.
      Architect Florencia Rissotti has converted a warehouse into a fabric store in Buenos AiresThe interior is divided into two floors, with a mezzanine above used for storage and office space, and the store’s retail space and lounge areas below.
      Cream-coloured curtains hang underneath the mezzanine and above to hide storage areas and create meeting spaces.
      A catalogue of fabric hanging from hooks lines the space”The space was assembled using the raw material of the place: fabric,” said the studio. “A series of curtains divide, set up a meeting room, hide shelves with orders and cover the storage area.”

      Along the length of a wall, large material samples are draped from hooks, which will “mutate” over time as the catalogue changes.
      The space was organized and divided using creme coloured curtainsSimilarly, fabric samples of various sizes were draped over the railings of a staircase that leads to the mezzanine, in part as a permanent installation and to display the shop’s selections.
      “The ladder device was intended as an exhibition element, from which velvet falls and sews the two levels (the totem) together,” said the studio. “This ladder hanger is designed as an internal display window, where the selection/palette can be changed according to the season.”

      La Base Studio wraps glass Buenos Aires house with shading screen

      Various creme tones dominate the space, with colour integrated from fabric samples and bright seating running in a straight line parallel to the fabric samples.
      Alamo wood desks and large coffee tables were crafted for the space.
      A staircase installation displays a rotating selection of textilesOutside, a garden area contains a semi-circle metal bench and simple plantings.
      Florencia Rissotti is a Buenos Aires-based architect who focuses on interiors and residential architecture.
      Elsewhere in Buenos Aires, La Base Studio recently created a delicate wooden privacy screen for a 1970s home renovation and architects Julio Oropel and Jose Luis Zacarias Otiñano created a bio-art installation focused on fungi.
      The photography is by Fernando Schapochnik.

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      Hitzig Militello sets restaurant within historic Buenos Aires home

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      Repurposed materials and decadent accents come together in this Buenos Aires restaurant and bar that fits within a historic house overhauled by local studio Hitzig Militello Architects.

      Named Moshu Treehouse, the restaurant was built within a two-storey home in the Palermo neighbourhood, near the architecture studio’s main office.
      Moshu features raw materials and playful accentsThe neighbourhood is one of the older areas of the city and has a wealth of existing structures such as this one.
      According to the architecture studio, traditionally, these Argentinian houses are built around a courtyard, which becomes the main gathering area for socialising.
      Hitzig Militello designed the restaurant in Buenos AiresHitzig Militello Architects wanted to replicate this experience by creating a new courtyard area at the entrance that preserves the original facade of the home.

      In addition to marking the arrival into the restaurant, this feature is intended to facilitate carry-out orders and outdoor dining.
      A local Moshu tree planted in the courtyard gave the project its name.
      It features both indoor and outdoor dining”Our first major design strategy was to create an access courtyard immediately adjacent to the facade as both a symbol and shock effect,” said Hitzig Militello Architects.
      This new access courtyard allows visitors to enter the restaurant in two different ways: into the primary courtyard or up a set up stairs to access the second floor.
      “This allowed for a new facade with a language of its own, the core idea behind it being the preservation of the old style of the main facade,” it added.
      The facade is made up of a grid of windows with wooden shuttersPart of the courtyards facade is made up of a grid of windows with wooden shutters, which also cover the entrance to the indoor aspect of the restaurant. These are operable and can be opened up to capture the breeze, or closed in bad weather.
      They are slightly angled and offset from one another, creating a dynamic and irregular composition.

      Hitzig Militello Arquitectos combines two homes in one building in Buenos Aires

      The restaurant itself is laid out on two levels, with a cocktail bar upstairs and a terrace at the back of the building. The interiors preserve many of the raw finishes from the existing home.
      “The interior architecture language is one of vernacular composition of the typical demolished industrial style,” they explained. “Surrounding them is a run-down, abandoned house where the dry vegetation has taken over,” they added.
      Accent walls made of different sizes of tubes that form an archwayHitzig Militello Architects also added some playful features to the interiors, such as accent walls made of different sizes of tubes that form an archway.
      The ground floor contains a bar, and a variety of dining rooms set up inside or within small courtyards exposed to the sky.
      Upstairs is a large, decadent barIn total, the restaurant offers 240 square metres of interior space and 90 square metres uncovered.
      Upstairs is a larger bar, which spills out onto a terrace overlooking the front of the building.
      It spills out onto a terraceAn exterior stair leads from this upper patio directly to the street-facing entrance. Depending on the restaurant’s hours of operation, the upper floor can be reserved privately for events.
      Hitzig Militello Architects was founded in 2006 and also has offices in Miami.
      Buenos Aires has seen a number of renovations and additions to its existing building stock. Other examples include a home from the 1930s that underwent a “subtle” renovation by Torrado Arquitectos, and a self-designed office by Studio Nu that is set within a former auto mechanic’s shop.
      The photography is by Federico Kulekdjian.
      Project credits:Concept design: Arch. Vanik Margossian, Arch. Dolores GayosoConstruction documents: Arch. Vanik MargossianManagement: Arch. Marcela Bernat, Arch. Vanik Margossian

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      Torrado Arquitectos carries out subtle renovation of 1930s Buenos Aires house

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      Argentinian studio Torrado Arquitectos has used material that match the original home for its renovation of House in Barrio Parque in Buenos AiresThe local studio renovated and reconfigured the property, which was completed in 1938 by architect Alberto Rodriguez Etchetoc, but aimed to change the appearance as little as possible.

      Top: The house is on a corner plot in the city. Above: House in Barrio Parque has fresh white walls.
      “The aesthetic concept of imitating is known as mimesis, in which the imitation cannot be compared to the original, on the contrary, it becomes its equivalent,” said Torrado Arquitectos.

      “It is within this frame of work that the renovation and extension of the House in Barrio Parque was planned,” it continued.
      “The addition of new bedrooms, the new circulation and the relocation of service areas blend with the original project, at times completely disappearing.”

      Arched opening leads to garden
      The house is one of two properties built on a corner plot in the Argentinian capital city, giving it an unusual triangular footprint. Two spiral staircases lead up its three floors: one has stone steps while the other has wooden treads.
      Reddish brick forms the exterior, while inside its tall walls are updated with fresh white paint coating tiles and prominent skirting and cornice moulding.

      The main intervention is wood cabinets
      Decorative details include the insertion of glass that is cut to match the ceiling trim so it is difficult to see, and also allows natural light between spaces.
      New materials, including wood veneer and marble flooring, were also chosen to match the existing finishes.

      Windows meet the ornate ceiling detail
      “There is almost no difference in the materials chosen for the renovation,” the studio added.
      “Few new materials were used, the veneer chosen for the furniture and divisions and the travertino marble with a rustic finish for the floors, all blend with the white stucco and the Slavonian oak wooden floor already existent.”

      Modernist furniture alludes to the house’s history
      Torrado Arquitectos said it did make two big interventions in the project: “only two sectors in the kitchen and the dressing room, completely built with wooden panels, are a proper renovation, the rest is a work of invisible conservation and restoration, mimesis of a longed past”.

      Estudio Nu retrofits creative studios in former Buenos Aires workshop

      Wood kitchen cabinetry is paired with marble splashback and limestone flooring in the kitchen. An arched window with doors that open onto the back garden where there is a seating deck and a small pool.

      Wooden herringbone flooring on an upper level
      Storage in the dressing room is also paired with the limestone, which extends to form walls of the bathroom and shower.
      In the adjoining living room and dining room wood herringbone flooring offsets white walls, while modernist furniture allude to the building’s history.

      Wood cabinets are paired with limestone flooring in the dressing room
      Other recently completed residential projects in Buenos Aires include the extension of a courtyard house designed by Hernan Landolfo and Marcos Asa and a small apartment that IR Arquitectura created from a leftover corner of a 1950s building.
      Photography is by Javier Agustin Rojas.
      Project credits:
      Project and design: Torrado ArquitectosProject team: Martin Torrado, Architect Ligia Gaffuri, Architect Gonzalo Yerba, Architect Leandro Valdivieso, Architect Mora Linares

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      Estudio Nu retrofits creative studios in former Buenos Aires workshop

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      Translucent glass doors fold open to reveal the studio that architecture firm Estudio Nu has created inside a dental mechanics workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Estudio Nu had shared the Lerma workshop in the city’s Villa Crespo neighbourhood with an artist for years but wanted to update the facilities to accommodate more tenants. “Lerma started as […] More

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      Hernan Landolfo and Marcos Asa top courtyard house in Argentina with glass extension

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      Argentinian architects Hernan Landolfo and Marcos Asa have extended an apartment in Buenos Aires and reorganised the living spaces around a double-height atrium with an olive tree growing in the centre. Landolfo and Asa were enlisted by his clients to expand their living space to include a home office. They determined that the best way […] More