Residential SERIES  •  Project FEATURE

Play of Contrasts – CASA nnCLP by nnarquitectos

CASA nnCLP is a project where architecture becomes a bridge between the intimate and the social.

The solidity of its façade contrasts with the fluidity of its interiors, where boundaries dissolve to integrate nature and enhance communal living. With a strategic layout and a sincere structural approach, the house intelligently responds to the needs of its inhabitants, ensuring comfort, brightness, and a timeless design. Set on a 1,500 m² plot, CASA nnCLP follows a clear strategy: ensuring privacy from the street while liberating the social spaces towards the back of the lot. To achieve this, the program is arranged mainly on the ground floor, except for the study, which is placed on an upper level alongside a spacious terrace. This layout enhances the connection between living spaces, maximizing natural light and cross ventilation.

"CASA nnCLP achieves a perfect synthesis of shelter and openness, creating a home where life flows harmoniously."

From the entrance, the house presents itself as a closed and protected volume. Two strategically placed walls conceal a light-filled courtyard and the garage, creating an entrance sequence that plays with spatial perception. While the pedestrian access follows a diagonal path guided by a textured concrete wall, the vehicular and service entrance frees up a void beneath the heaviest volume of the house. This structural play, emphasizing weightlessness, is further reinforced in the dining area, where inverted beams and a suspended structure support the gallery.

Inside, the home unfolds with a continuous spatial language. The social area, comprising the living room, dining space, and kitchen, connects to the upper-floor study through a double-height void, enhancing the sense of openness. To strengthen the relationship with the outdoors, recessed sliding doors allow these spaces to transform into a large gallery extending towards both the front and rear courtyards. This adaptability enhances the house’s versatility, ensuring comfort throughout the year.

"The architecture can be both solid and ethereal, allowing light, air, and experiences to move effortlessly through it."

Structural honesty is a key feature of the project. Every element—beams, columns, partitions—is expressed without concealment, revealing its function within the overall system. The upper volume, a 10-meter-square base, is supported by columns that are offset counterclockwise by two meters from each vertex. This arrangement creates a dynamic equilibrium, where the structural loads are distributed in a reciprocal manner. This approach not only serves a technical purpose but also defines the house’s visual identity.

Sustainability plays a central role in CASA nnCLP. The bioclimatic design incorporates passive strategies to optimize ventilation and energy efficiency. In the bedrooms, an air renewal system using small openings ensures constant circulation even when doors are closed, while in the distribution corridor, skylights with automated windows promote cross ventilation and natural lighting. These solutions guarantee a comfortable environment while reducing reliance on artificial climate control systems.

The choice of materials reinforces the duality between austerity and openness. Textured concrete dominates the façade, giving it a strong and protective character, while inside, large glass panels and movable partitions allow for a seamless connection with the landscape. This balance between solidity and lightness defines the project’s essence, where architecture adapts to the rhythm of its inhabitants.

CASA nnCLP is an exploration of contemporary living, where privacy is not a limit but a transition toward more open and shared spaces. The volumetric arrangement, honest structure, and bioclimatic strategies converge in a design that not only meets functional needs but also invites a more natural and connected way of experiencing space.