The QUINCHA HOUSE is a project that BASE Studio is currently working on in Puchuncaví, set to be completed in 2023.
The “quincha” is a traditional Latin American building method that primarily employs wood and natural fibers to create an earthquake-resistant framework that is then manually covered with mud and clay. The proposed system revisits and investigates the spatial, material, and geometric potential of earthen construction, combining local, artisanal techniques with digital design processes to reinterpret its application from a modern standpoint.
BASE creates architecture that is oriented toward non-traditional geometrical, material, and spatial formulations that can accommodate the challenges and opportunities of modern life.
It is a material system that utilizes and maximizes the earth present on the ground to construct load-bearing elements such as walls and vaults, as well as ceramic coverings. The land itself is recomposed through molds that shape over 10,000 discrete pieces of fired clay. The exterior cladding of QUINCHA HOUSE is a waterproof enveloping “skin” whose ceramic veneer components control the flow of rainwater, provide geometric continuity, and give the house a monolithic character.
The system is defined spatially by a series of independent volumes organized around a central space and a linear circulation axis, which vary in size and orientation in relation to the topography, views, and programmatic needs of the house.
Project Info
Project Name: QUINCHA HOUSE
Architecture: Barbara Barreda, Felipe Sepúlveda
Architectural Collaborators: Martín Gómez, Matías Ramírez
Earth consultant: Camilo Giribas
Engineering: Guillermo Astorga
