Articles by Andreas Luco

In the heart of the bustling old city, amidst the vibrant chaos of typical Indian streets, lies a plot measuring a mere 6 meters in width by 9 meters in depth. This small parcel of land, tucked away in the market area, presented a unique challenge and opportunity to weave a narrative of community living amidst the cacophony of urban life. The client, faced with the dilemma of moving away from the old city to escape the chaos, found themselves drawn to the idea of fostering community within this dense urban fabric. The challenge presented was formidable: to utilize a compact site effectively, maximize natural light, accommodate commercial spaces on the ground floor, and provide comfortable residences above.

This project consists of three small lakeside buildings for the canoe and tour skating clubs of Sollentuna, a municipality just north of Stockholm. The buildings uphold the long-standing Swedish tradition of public buildings providing service and accessibility to nature and the outdoors. The project’s ambition has been to create a meeting place. People should be able to stop by on their Sunday walk and have a coffee in the café. School classes should be able to have a gym class here. Athletes should have good facilities, both elite and amateurs.

Casa Sótão (Attic House) is located in the state of Ceará, in the Serra de Guaramiranga (Guaramiranga Mountains). This region is characterized by a large mass of Atlantic Forest vegetation, offering a unique view. The house design was created to integrate with its natural landscape, amplifying the connection between human living and its surroundings. The site has steep topography, which encourages the design to develop over two floors and an attic. This variation provides different perspectives of the surroundings: the ground floor connects intimately with the tree trunks, the upper floor offers views of the treetops, and the attic provides a stunning view over them.

Casa Sótão (Attic House) is located in the state of Ceará, in the Serra de Guaramiranga (Guaramiranga Mountains). This region is characterized by a large mass of Atlantic Forest vegetation, offering a unique view. The house design was created to integrate with its natural landscape, amplifying the connection between human living and its surroundings. The site has steep topography, which encourages the design to develop over two floors and an attic. This variation provides different perspectives of the surroundings: the ground floor connects intimately with the tree trunks, the upper floor offers views of the treetops, and the attic provides a stunning view over them.

Architectural description. Nestled on the plateau of Revard at 1400 meters above sea level, the center is situated in a clearing, occupied by cross-country ski trails in winter and pastures in summer. Simple and monolithic, the choice of a compact volume based on a square figure was imposed. Topped with a large three-pitched roof and a half-hipped roof on the side facing the ski slopes, the building is protected from the weather by wide roof overhangs, inspired by those of the Bauges barns, where wooden struts allow for greater cantilevers and low eaves minimize the impact of the structure on the scale of pedestrians or skiers.

Although as much as 80% of Slovenia is covered by forest, in the last century most family houses were made of concrete and brick. These are materials that are considered to be durable, earthquake-safe, and economical. Houses made of timber have been reawakening only in the last two decades, mainly due to raising awareness of sustainable construction and the well-being of living in a wooden house.