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This approach\u2014consistent with their commitment to connect materiality and place\u2014manifests in The Intermediate House. With a built surface of 1,238 square feet, the house boasts chestnut-tinged walls made of manually pressed unbaked earth brick, and locally sourced curupay wood floors and hanging curtains. Para\u00edso wood panel closet doors\u2014also sourced locally and specifically crafted for this project to fold and slide\u2014reveal bookshelves and a concealed kitchen within, and when closed, attention is brought to the vaulted ceiling supported with horizontal black steel I beams. \u201cWe prioritize natural materials and expose them to show a sincere and transparent construction process,\u201d say Pozzoli and Cherniavsky. \u201cFalling into absolutism or being too radical would mean rigidly adhering to a set principle without considering context or flexibility, which we try to avoid.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, when using stone (or rammed earth) as load-bearing walls tied to the ground, the studio says it does so because \u201cits telluric and stereotomic qualities, which carry the presence of time and weight, suggest that specific use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beauty of their design is a product of its primary goal, which is to create a practical and intuitive building. \u201cArchitecture is not solely an aesthetic practice; it must address these fundamental concerns,\u201d say Pozzoli and Cherniavsky. The defining feature of The Intermediate House is the vaulted roofs made of compressed earth block, for which the studio says it economized by pouring a thin four-centimeter layer on top, and used a two-inch insulation foam as a cooling agent to protect the interior from solar radiation to regulate the interior in warmer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The freedom of exploration that Cherniavsky and Pozzoli describe is a material response to conditions (climate, accessible technology, local materials, local craftsmanship and general building knowledge, culture, etc.). \u201cAbstraction from these conditions will determine the outcome of the project,\u201d they say, and this manifests in projects that are accessible not only in the way that they are built but also in the way we understand them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Prev<\/button>Next<\/button><\/div>This elementary and high school in Asunci\u00f3n incorporates passive ventilation and sun protection through\nits central courtyards and solar fins. COURTESY LEONARDO M\u00c9NDEZ. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n