Baldio Arquitectura designs Córdoba row house around existing carob tree

Baldio Arquitectura has completed a small apartment with light wells and a central tree as part of a residential complex in Córdoba.

The project, named Three Houses and a Carob Tree, is located in Córdoba, the capital of Argentina's eponymous province.

Completed in 2021, it began as a commission for Baldio Arquitectura to design two houses on a lot with a mature carob tree, also called a locust tree.

Baldio Arquitectura designed a row house in Córdoba

But the Córdoba-based studio wanted to challenge this brief and attempt to provide a third living unit on the plot. This third unit was built to accommodate the living tree.

"Córdoba suffers from the consequences of the horizontal expansion of urban sprawl, towards the small mountains Northwest of the city," said the studio.

The complex has two three-storey and one two-storey homes

"Our position regarding the commission was from the outset to find a way to densify the lot through the incorporation of a third unit."

All three homes are built within a single volume that is divided into two three-storey houses and a smaller house on the end. Despite their difference in scale, each of the homes counts two bedrooms.

The larger duplexes have stark-white stairwells

The ground floors of the larger homes are designed to facilitate openness. This level has no columns or walls and can open at either end for cross-ventilation, to park a car, or to set up a large gathering.

"During the pandemic, we were more aware than ever of the need to have this extra flexible space in homes, which can easily become a work area, virtual classes, or simply leisure, a place to escape from the routine," said Baldio Arquitectura.

The third apartment was built around the existing carob tree

A compact staircase leads from this space to the living and dining rooms, which are adjacent to a kitchenette. On the upper levels, openings in the floor bring more light to the interiors and offer views of a central yard with greenery in it.

Balconies run along the front of the building too, which are partially enclosed by a white mesh screen facing the street. Along with the courtyards and their operable windows, this feature allows the living spaces to be cross-ventilated in the hot summer months.

The tree fills a courtyard

"There was a lot of thought about sustainability in this project. We understand it not as the use of complex technology for energy savings, but as the incorporation of passive air conditioning resources," the architects explained.

The top floor contains two bedrooms, which share a bathroom on the landing.

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The smaller house has a similar layout, although the living and dining area are located on the ground floor. Here, an existing carob tree was preserved, acting as the focal point.

An open staircase divides the front and back parts of the home. "The spatial continuities are very interesting in this house, where the patios are considered as one more interior, linking them to the spaces for use," said Baldio Arquitectura.

The simple interiors are contrasted with colourful furniture

"The staircase, always at the center of these programs and in relation to the carob tree," they added.

All three homes were built with a concrete frame painted white. The interiors are minimally decorated, with certain accent pieces like a light blue couch and a marble backsplash in the kitchen bringing some colour to the space.

Other projects in Argentina include a row-house project with gardens elevated above street level for privacy, and a brick-fronted apartment block in Rosario with "atypical" unit layouts.

The photography is byGonzalo Viramonte.

Project credits:
Architecture office: Baldio Arquitectura
Architects in charge: Arch. Maria Paula Albrieu, Arch. Lucrecia Caceres
Design team: Arch. Maria Paula Albrieu, Arch. Lucrecia Caceres, Arch. Melisa Alaminos and Arch. Lourdes Cuadro
Development: BRIEU, Construction and development
Engineering: Ing. Edgar Morán

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MAD completes amorphous concrete library in China

Chinese architecture studio MAD has completed the Cloudscape of Haikou, a sinuous library and waystation that is cast in seamless white concrete on the coast of the Chinese island of Hainan.

The 1,000-square-metre structure, formerly known as Wormhole Library, is the first of sixteen pavilions being constructed in Century Park as part of a wider rejuvenation project of Haikou Bay.

MAD has completed the Cloudscape of Haikou. Photo is by CreatAR Images

Cloudscape of Haikou is distinguished by its amorphous, flowing form, in which the building's interior and exterior are cast as one vessel, without any right angles.

It is punctuated by large curved cut-outs that frame views of the sea, sky and land and allow natural light and air to enter, immersing visitors in nature and the coastal landscape.

It is located in a park on the coast of Hainan. Photo is by AOGVISION

"Spirituality is the core value of architecture," said Ma Yansong, founder of MAD. "It contributes to the humanistic atmosphere of a city," he explained.

"We want the building to be an urban space that people would like to make part of their daily lives. Architecture, art, humanity and nature meet here, and they will open up a journey of visitors' imaginations to explore and appreciate the meaning that different beauty brings to their lives."

The building has a continuous concrete form

The form of the building was achieved using a precise CNC-cut and 3D-printed formwork and double-layered waffle slabs on the floor and ceiling.

All electrics and plumbing are hidden within the concrete cavity to reduce clutter, while bookcases are recessed into the walls.

Large curved cut-outs puncture the structure

Inside, the Cloudscape of Haikou's library is divided into two zones by a large foyer. On one side is the library, while the other is a mixed-use facilities block.

The mixed-use facilities form a waystation for visitors to the park and include a cafe, restrooms, showers, a nursery room, and bike storage.

Bookcases are recessed into the walls. Photo is by CreatAR Images

The library encompasses 700 square metres and includes a reception area, office, flexible reading and event space alongside a children's area with alcoves and an intimate reading space overlooking the water.

These spaces are arranged around a central reading room containing 10,000 books, and linked together by curved sliding doors that retract into the walls.

Cloudscape of Haiko is complete with a large rooftop terrace and a pool and white-sand filled area at ground level.

Some rooms have small reading nooks

The sixteen coastal pavilions that are being constructed along the coast of Haikou Bay are being overseen by the Haikou Tourism and Culture Investment Holding Group and are known collectively as the Pavilions by the Seaside.

Architects and artists including Anish Kapoor, Sou Fujimoto, Thomas Heatherwick, Bjarke Ingels, Kengo Kuma, and MVRDV are also developing structures for the project.

The interior and exterior are cast as one vessel

The Cloudscape of Haikou was one of 10 buildings in our roundup of architecture to look forward to in 2021.

It featured alongside Tadao Ando's revamp of the Bourse de Commerce in France and MVRDV's greenery-lined high-rise building Valley in the Netherlands.

Photography is by Archexist unless stated.

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