Named Omnibus House, the long and narrow residence is constructed on the side of a hill and the wall beneath it functions as a retainer against the sloping landscape.

Gubbins wanted the house to be visually linked to the outdoor spaces of its woodland location, so he designed the concrete volume with lengths of glazing stretching across its longest facades, allowing views right through the building.

"All the issues with privacy are solved because of the slope of the location," said Jose Quintana Cabezas, an architect at Gubbins Arquitectos. "There are neighbours, but they are far away enough to not to have visual contact, plus all the tree trunks help."

One of the most prominent features of the house is a concrete staircase that cuts through its centre, connecting the rooms on the main floor with an entrance on the storey below and a terrace on the rooftop.

Corridors run along both sides of the building, while rooms are arranged in sequence between. Glazed partitions divide the living and dining rooms, either side of the staircase, while wooden boards separate the bedrooms at the western end.

The concrete walls are exposed inside the building, plus polished concrete floors run through each room.

Santiago studio Gubbins Arquitectos also recently completed a hillside house with walls of timber and concrete.

Other recent projects in Chile include an earthquake-proof house and a hotel for stargazers. See more architecture in Chile.

Here's some more information from Gubbins Arquitectos:

Omnibus House

Life and leisure space

To break the typical areas of an urban house; kitchen, living–dining room and dormitories, this house has a double circulation that deconstructs these areas into a set of complimentary places.

This creates a way of inhabiting that moves away from a typical urban arrangement into a more playful one.

To inhabit the exterior from within

To inhabit the exterior of a holiday house does not only imply the direct interaction with the outside of the house, but also the interaction through the house.

This has been achieved through its own structure and arrangement, allowing the possibility of re-discovering new views from the terrace-roof; from the back terrace through the living room, from the corridor or galleria by the main façade or sheltered along the houses stone base.

A sustainable architecture

The north orientation of the houses main façade (23.5 metres width by 3.1 metres height) offers the possibility of becoming a large solar collector that at night time re-emits the accumulated thermal energy gathered during the day, by its walls, concrete slabs and roof.

Materiality and construction

The use of concrete as the main material, gives a sense of mass that is necessary for relating to the context.

Its colour complements the surrounding trees and allowed the used of a large span for the roofing and the use of different textures produced by the rough sawn timber formwork sold by a local retailer.

Above: ground floor plan - click for larger image

Above: first floor plan - click for larger image

Above: roof plan - click for larger image

Above: east elevation - click for larger image

Above: west elevation - click for larger image

Above: north elevation - click for larger image

Above: south elevation - click for larger image

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Gubbins Arquitectos appeared first on Dezeen.

The building is formed of two separate halves that nestle against the landscape at different levels, separating the main family house from a guesthouse further down the hill.

A large wooden deck stretches out between the two structures, forming an extension of the open-plan living room and kitchen. "The main strategy was to create a big terrace," explains Gubbins Arquitectos. "The terrace extends towards the ocean, removing the view of the existing houses."

The deck sits over the roof of the guesthouse in front, allowing a sheltered parking area to slot in underneath.

The residence is made of up several concrete walls and volumes, which protrude both horizontally and vertically to create a composition of overlapping blocks. "The architecture of the two longitudinal volumes makes the space decompose and fold into a series of slabs and beams," explain the architects.

Timber screens surround the upper terrace, forming a horizontal band that sits flush against the concrete.

Above: photograph is by Pedro Gubbins

Stairs lead down from the main house to the car park below, creating a sheltered route between the two halves of the building.

The main house contains just one ensuite bedroom, while three more are contained on the lower level.

Other residences to recently complete in Chile include an earthquake-proof house with glass walls and a tiered hillside house with panoramic Pacific views. See more architecture in Chile.

Above: photograph is by Pedro Gubbins

Photography is Pablo Montecinos, apart from where otherwise stated.

Above: photograph is by Pedro Gubbins

Here's a project description from the architects:

Casa Mava

Casa Mava is placed in the "Beranda" urbanization, which is located in between Cachagua's and Maitencillo's spas in Chile. The location is on a really strong slope, with a radical sight to Pacific Ocean. It is exposed to south-west winds.

The main strategy was to create a big terrace, creating this "new floor" that would allow for "leisure life" and make the ocean sight even more perceptible, offering a unique relationship between the inhabitant and the horizon line, the same way that the cliffs do.

The terrace extends towards the ocean, removing the view of the existing houses. The program decomposes into "two units". This allows it to get in touch with the ground in the proper way, and provides the architectonical support for the terrace.

Southward, there is a big metal and wood "beam-wall" that allows to delimit the view and take over the south-west winds in the place, and the future neighbours. Under it, a new place is created. Here is the entrance to the house, the relationship between both houses and a place sheltered from the sun.

The architectural promenade is complete when you get into a courtyard which is opened to the sky and from where you access the terrace. Both houses develop their inner promenades perpendicular to the slope, involving all the interior rooms of the site.

The architecture of the two longitudinal volumes makes the space decompose and fold into a series of slabs and beams that allows big distances between supports without soiling the ocean view. Furthermore, it helps to protect the house from the west sun.

Above: photograph is by Pedro Gubbins

The materiality is composed by reinforced seen concrete walls, aluminium windows, double glazing and wood beams. The temperature and atmosphere created by these materials offers a complete integration with the ground and vegetation of the area.

Above: ground floor plan - click above for larger image

Above: first floor plan - click above for larger image

Above: roof plan - click above for larger image

Above: section one - click above for larger image

Above: section two - click above for larger image

Above: section three - click above for larger image

Above: section four - click above for larger image

Above: section five - click above for larger image

Above: north elevation - click above for larger image

Above: east elevation - click above for larger image

Above: south elevation - click above for larger image

Above: west elevation - click above for larger image

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Gubbins Arquitectos appeared first on Dezeen.