CASA SI: A Concrete House with Connection to Nature

Santiago Chasseing completed a residential project in 2020 for his own family called CASA SI. He is now living along with Ine and their daughter Max in this house. It is a concrete house located in a 1500 sqm terrain in Villa Allende, a little city on the outskirts of Córdoba, Argentina. The site of this house is characterized by single-family houses in large plots with a strong presence of nature.

This project was developed with a requirement of profound introspection and multiple project versions to meet all expectations as a future inhabitant and as an architect. The most important things of all for this project are identity, simplicity, efficiency, reduced program and footage, and connection with nature.

The development starts with a grid of full and empty spaces. These spaces are defined as interior courtyards combined with transparent glass or opaque planes, resulting in great amplitude and connection with the outside.

The house doesn’t have a large covered surface but a sensation of amplitude and expansion towards the outside is generated while living in the home. As a minimum, every space inside has a window from floor to ceiling and a full space width.

Closing the facade to the street and opening the one to the back garden was an important premise of this project. Thus, along with this, an almost blind concrete wall lifted from the ground towards the street was proposed to create a unique identity in the neighborhood.

Concrete is the chosen material due to its expression, nobility, and low maintenance. The aim of choosing this material is also to see how it transforms over time with the growth of ivy plants.

It is a timeless house where protagonism is in the simplicity and austerity, so it is free to fill with special moments.

Casa SI stands for Casa Santi e Ine, meaning the scenery for the construction of the life we dreamt of.

Brands and products used in this project:

Mármoles Colón: Negro Brasil Leather
Egger: Laminado Compacto
Artemide: Olmo Spot
Tribeca: Silla Cuadra Blanca
Sherwin Williams: Pintura

CASA SI Gallery

Architect: Santiago Chasseing

Photographer: Gonzalo Viramonte, @gonzaloviramonte