Manantiales, UY - 2022 /
Within the uncontaminated Uruguayan landscape, in the well-known Laguna Estate in Manantiales, this 400 m2 family house has been designed by Matteo Fantoni Studio for full year around use.Particularly demanding local environmental conditions are driving factors of the design proposal.Summer dried, windy and hot days, highly humid and cold weather during winter months needed to be responded to accomplish day by day living design.Following the pandemic and the resetting of life style, many families migrated in the area requesting design for wellbeing comfortable dwellings in combination with work time spaces for all year around use. The master plan, that integrate 2 lagoons, a generous set of tall eucalyptus and an existing set of volumes, is designed to be gentle over the ground and to work with the ground level changes creating unexpected views and delivering privacy, efficiency and beauty. The architectural volumes stretch over the water, protruding and flying into it. Birds will sit over the terrace benches and rain will be heard reading a book under the canopy shade. The structure is lifted of the ground and composed by a concrete platform and wooden composite insulated panels for walls. The roof, made with steel trusses frame and wooden composite insulated panels, however the light weight, is strong and durable. These are the elements that the studio plays with to create a simple efficient architecture, studied to assure low emission embodied carbon in making the building components. Natural cross ventilation, sun shading cantilevers, highly performance insulated wood panels (off-site made), double glazing and wood window framing also warranty low energy consumption on day by day use .Shade and insulate as a design principal, is MFS scope to create passive architecture and achieve a highly sustainable design.This hybrid structure, mostly built off-site with local resources, will reduce site construction and operations significantly. All the new architectural volumes will be completed in 6 months.Services will be plugged-in, with the idea to be easily accessible for maintenance and replacement.An open plan living, with bar and kitchen integrated, with deep sun set view terrace looks over the two lagoons is the house core. An openable Skylight is the main feature of the living room, not only providing natural light into the space but also allowing a chimney effect for natural ventilation and reducing the need of cooling and electricity during the summer period.\r\n\r\nPrivate en-suite master double bedroom opens over the terrace with spectacular sunset views reflecting onto the lagoon waters, and a second en-suite double bedroom also has views and direct access over the surrounding landscape.Service spaces and garage are also designed to support all needs requested.Internally wood finishes for walls and ceilings are designed, while a concrete floor runs through the scheme for minimal maintenance.One generous stove for the main living and two more for each private master bedrooms areas are also integrated.\r\nThose will mostly cover heating for the winter period, utilizing wood to heat up the house. A heat pump is also available to cover an addition demand for heating or cooling which might be required during the year. Also the project collect and harvest approx. 20.000 m3 of rain water for services and gardening use.The aim of the project is to breathe and keep any need of electricity as small as possible.The masterplan, of overall 1 hectare landscape property, has been designed solving a critical water flooding issue over the site by creating the two lagoons. Those, respectively 1200 m2 and 350 m2, in fact, act now to control rain floods and to generate reservoirs during the summer season, providing also water for the vegetable garden, the Huerta, which is an important feature of the overall landscape design proposed by the studio.SIMPLICITY, FUNCTIONALITY, BEAUTY.
