The use of pigmented concrete in Latin American architecture is growing and influencing contemporary architectural expression. While the addition of pigments to concrete is often associated with an aesthetic purpose and has been implemented in various public and institutional buildings, it has also been used in houses and residences within the region to highlight specific features and integrate a volumetric design within their context and environment.
This selection of houses distributed across the Latin American territory shows how pigmented concrete highlights certain features, blends with the surrounding landscape and conveys diverse sensations to the inhabitants.
Volta House / Ambrosi I Etchegaray. Image © Sergio López. “A practical and economical circumstance determined the materiality of this house. Foundation Casa Wabi is located nearby, a place where clay is fired and where at the time of the construction there were leftover bricks available for recycling. So, the idea of using brick vaults built on top of a concrete structure pigmented with clay colour emerged.”
Nicté-Ha House / Di Frenna Arquitectos. Image © Onnis Luque. “Nicté-Ha House emerges from the idea of creating a play of volumes crafted from concrete matched to the earthy tones of the area, mixed with the very stone ingrained in it, known as the ‘Piedra de potrero’ or ‘Pasture Stone’.”
Casa Raem in Chile / Pezo von Ellrichshausen. Image Cortesía de Pezo von Ellrichshausen. “The reinforced concrete construction, with its yellow pigmentation, appears as a monolithic plate amidst broken stones and native bushes.”
Bugambilias House / Taller Mexicano de Arquitectura. Image © Alejandro Loustaunau. “Formally, the house aims to form a grey concrete basement on the ground floor on which a monolithic volume of pigmented concrete rests to generate that contrast between the two levels.”
Sonoma House / Roca Arquitectos. Image © Apertura Arquitectónica. “During the work process, colour samples were prepared on the concrete in order to match it with the desert environment and the existing topography of the land. The structure seems to emerge from the ground itself and blends in with the rocky landscape at Punta Gorda Hill.”
23 House in Colombia by Arquitectura en Estudio. Image © Llano Fotografía. “Ochre-tinted concrete built by using a timber formwork offers texture and cosiness to the spaces.”
Casa Lyons / Co Lateral. Image © Claudio Napolitano. “The concrete walls blended with red clay evoke the typical shades of the region and merge with the glorious sunsets. Thus, the interior and exterior spaces blend organically, establishing a delicate harmony.”
Casa Bruma / Fernanda Canales + Claudia Rodríguez. Image © Rafael Gamo. “The house is made up of four materials: apparent black concrete, wood, stone, and glass. Each block adapts to the topography and makes the volumes appear and disappear in the landscape.”
Discovering the impact of pigmented concrete in Latin American residential architecture.
Full acknowledgement and thanks go to https://www.archdaily.com for the information in this editorial. *The texts are descriptions provided by the authors of the projects.