Villa L

Location: Punta Barco, Panama

Client: Private

Material: concrete & wood

Completion date: 2019

Site area: 510m²

Architecture Office: EL PATIO arquitectos

Architects in Charge: Patricia Alemán, Thilo Nuessgen

Design Team: Patricia Alemán, Thilo Nuessgen, José Pinto, Efraín Cardona

Consultants: M.E.P: GGD Consulting Group S.A.

Structures: Ing. Frank Lee

Contractor: 'Constructura 3R'

Photographer: Fernando Alda

Story:

Text provided by the architects:

The house is developed at a crossroads of two streets where the lot sits on the top of a small ridge that slopes down in the back, diagonally into the bushes and a small lake. The two volumes are located along the roads to protect the family space, a plateau in the centre of the lot, from views from the neighbouring houses. A tall concrete retaining wall extends the open area in the heart of the project at the level and provides the space for the pool.

Between the entrance and the living room with terrace and swimming pool, two steps are leading down, opening the height of the social spaces step by step. The roofs with wide eaves protect the flowing spaces from the tropical weather and create a buffer zone between the enclosed areas and the outside.

The simple, single slope roofs have windows or vent openings at the top to ensure cross ventilation and the direct evacuation of any hot air that might accumulate. All circulation area is open to the environment and provide ample cross ventilation to all the adjoining rooms. All rooms have their own ensuite bathrooms.

The house is mainly built with 4 elements, an off-form concrete base, floors, columns and gutters, white rendered walls, fibre cement cladding and timber joinery in cumaru.