L4 House on Costa Esmeralda by Luciano Kruk

Designed by Luciano Kruk, L4 House on Argentina’s Costa Esmeralda is a spacious concrete residence, featuring a rooftop pool and contemporary, monolithic interiors. Costa Esmeralda is located 13km north off the city of Pinamar and four hours away from Buenos Aires. Barrio Marítimo II, where the plot of land is located, is set parallel to the sea. A screen of pines lies between the neighbourhood and the coast, respecting the 200m setback required by the local regulations.

Two main reasons drove the choice of concrete materiality. Firstly, having built other houses in exposed concrete, the architects knew the material would withstand coastal conditions and remain in good conditions for a long time with practically no maintenance required. Secondly, its colour and texture established a harmonious dialogue with the natural surroundings.

Widespread, bright and intimately related to the outside, the social area were designed as the most important part of the house. The private area comprises of four bedrooms, quite independent from one another with each featuring its own bathroom. “We aimed at developing most of the plan in a single level and at having a greater outdoor area in a higher level, where water should be present and where we could contemplate the striking natural environment. We agreed that the trees and the terrain’s particular topography were jewels the architectural project should respect,” explains Kruk.

Aiming to create a contrast for the senses, one has to go from a gloomy semi covered space through a narrow staircase to enter the house, eventually emerging in an open bright area of the main floor. Here, the central hall accommodates all the social activities. Helping to organise this area, a stairway going up to the rooftop lies at the heart of the floor plan, giving order to the space as it separates the kitchen and dining area on one side, and the living room on the other.

Access to natural light is reinforced via the central skylight sitting above the stair. Linear cuts in the concrete slab are also incorporated along the edges of internal partitions, in search of different natural light effects throughout the day. The bathrooms are also illuminated by means of skylights placed over the showers.

“We built a box amid a slice of nature and, by letting the exterior flow in and out through it, we made it a constituent part of its environment. The box and its surroundings merge and vibrate in consonant harmony. Through its spatial synthesis and the simple character of its materiality, we intended the house to wake its inhabitants’ perceptions and to maximise their senses.”