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2024

MCHAP

Seis Casas

LOZA Arquitectura

Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina

September 2023

PRIMARY AUTHOR

Bruno Bussa (Architect), Manuel Rodríguez Solano (Architect)

CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

Agustín Monasterio (Accountant), Luciano López (Structural Engenieer), Camila Gerlero (Architect), Mariana Trepat (Architect), Patricio Rüegger (Logistic

CLIENT

Fideicomiso Seis Casas

PHOTOGRAPHER

Walter Gustavo Salcedo

OBJECTIVE

The concept of architecture as a mediator between the individual and the collective is once again the leitmotif of the project. The idea of unity was reinforced by consolidating the six houses into a large horizontal volume with simple lines, using a timeless language where brick takes center stage. The rectangular prism rests on a series of walls perpendicular to it, responsible for subdividing and supporting it.
The volume is positioned with its longest side parallel to Donado Street, the most trafficked thoroughfare. The courtyards are oriented to the west, towards the tranquility of the neighborhood, while vehicular and pedestrian access is located to the east, allowing the houses to distance themselves from the city's movement.
The way the prism is perforated, interrupting the continuity of the facades, allows for voids that regulate the entry of light and provide privacy. These intermediate spaces act as a buffer between the interior and exterior, between the public and private, endowing the interior spaces with a portion of nature.
The houses are developed on two levels. The ground floor houses the social area, fully permeable to the courtyards. The longest side of the main living area is materialized with a large glass facade facing the west courtyard, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. The front facade facing the internal street is materialized with a metallic skin that creates a rhythm of recesses and projections. The carefully perforated upper floor houses the sleeping quarters.

CONTEXT

Two years after designing our first project in the Fisherton neighborhood, located to the west of the city of Rosario, we observe that it is facing certain changes aimed at densifying the urban fabric. The "Six Houses" project was conceived as a continuation of "La Cortada" complex, providing an opportunity to build again in the heart of Fisherton, allowing us to rethink previously addressed issues. We aim to replicate successes and reformulate other aspects to enhance them.
Although the current code in the municipality of Rosario allowed us to build a taller building, we designed a complex of single-story houses with one floor to achieve greater density without altering the neighborhood's appearance, thus maintaining its identity and environment.

PERFORMANCE

Six years after we began designing our first complex "La Cortada," and with our second project, "Six Houses" in its initial period of use, the appearance of the neighborhood is completely changing.
Fisherton is undergoing a rapid transformation, becoming a sought-after neighborhood for real estate developers who are constructing large condominiums taller than the average existing houses, causing rejection among residents and the community.
As a counterpoint, the two housing complexes, while reducing the scale of the units and achieving density, are concerned with harmoniously integrating into the environment and adding value to the neighborhood.
The experience gained from these two collective housing projects has allowed us to incorporate the program into our professional sphere, assuming a critical and proactive role, building our own demands beyond those standardized by market conventions, and making decisions based on the specific needs of each case.
Understanding that the city should be compact, dense, and programmatically diverse, we strive to identify urban potentials and interpret them to harmoniously relate to the existing context, as architecture lacks meaning outside the environment in which it is inserted. This results in an architecture that is responsive to cultural, social, and economic transformations.

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