Modern Residential Design

Felipe Assadi + Christophe Rouselle
Casa Serrano

Another Chilean house this week thanks to Plataforma Arquitectura.
Felipe Assadi and Christophe Rouselle have created a wonderful house that exploits the views towards Santiago city as David Basulto describes.

Article By: David Basulto [tricky]
Architects: Felipe Assadi + Christophe Rouselle
Landscaping: Piera Sartori
Plot: 1000 m²
Area consturcted: 370 m²
Completed: 2006-03-21
Location: Mirador de Los Dominicos, Santiago de Chile
Constructor: Jorge Carrasco
Surveyor: Enzo Valladares


The Casa Serrano plot is located on one of the hills that borders the west zone of Santiago, a location with an almost aerial view of the city. In spite of these panoramic view, the appearance of neighboring constructions pushed the architect towards the formation of an apparently opaque pavilion when viewed from the sides, that lies above the landscape to generate a more dramatic visual relationship with the city.

The ground floor, dug into the hillside, establishes the…

Mell Lawrence ArchitectsWatersmark HouseAfter hunting through John's Future House Now the other day I came across Mell Lawrence Architects. John's feature on the Wild Haire Ranch House got me curious and their Watersmark House, a combination of old and new impressed me. The brickwork is impeccable and the combination of traditional and modern design make this house special.

Combining steel, stone and wood this house, despite being a new build, has the solidity and permanentness of an established mansion house. Breaking up the house into blocks and dividing it over levels descending the slope confirms that it's something the old master builders would not have attempted. This division allows for a series of landscaped courtyards to feature off each level, tamed in comparison to the natural forest in the valley beyond.

Layout wise, this house disperses bedrooms. Master on the upper floor then guests one level below the living room, kitchen and dining. A third bedroom, above th…