A wooden retreat over a lake in Patagonia

In the wide open spaces of Chilean Patagonia, swept by winds and defined by solitude, in a balanced but inexorable and pitiless ecosystem, any anthropic intervention risks being an arrogant or naive intrusion. Or, alternatively, a “civilised coexistence” test, when reducing the impact of the built work on the territory as much as possible and guaranteeing a safe and cosy “refuge” for those who live there. This was the goal for the Refugio Monreal, designed by SAA arquitectura + territorio in the Aysén region, the least populous in all Chile, amidst woods, snow-capped mountains and lakes.

The building stands in an isolated, north-facing position overlooking the lake, and is characterised by a parallelepiped volume covered with a single-pitch roof and suspended on pilotis so as to reduce its footprint on the sloping terrain and preserve the existing vegetation. by minimising the number of supports and foundations. This reversible structure is made entirely of Lenga wood, an essence representative of the forests of Andean Patagonia, and is composed of an articulated weave of pillars, diagonals, main and secondary beams that gives the straightforward, essential construction a sophisticated character.

The unfinished wood, carefully treated on the outside to resist atmospheric agents, on the inside wraps the dwelling with materic warmth, enclosing the domestic spaces divided longitudinally by a corridor: to the north, the living area, the kitchen and the master bedroom overlooking the terrace with a panoramic view of the lake; to the south, the service rooms and the second bedroom. Wall cladded in planking and shingles, slatted floors and exposed lattice beams on the roof, in dialogue with the almost “monastic” furnishings and soft-toned textiles, accentuate the rough and functional yet warm and welcoming character of the home.