UAN House by Alric Galindez Arq
UAN House lands in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, where Alric Galindez Arq places an upside-down plan on a gentle, brushy slope. The house sets living areas above and sleeping rooms below to catch lake views of Ventana and Catedral hills while preserving the low vegetation. It reads as two clear volumes: a residence and a lifted garden that leaves the original ground intact.
Wind brushes through low shrubs as the roofline slides across the slope. From the upper approach, the lake opens wide and the Ventana and Catedral hills anchor the horizon.
This is a house on a gentle incline, planned as an inversion of the expected domestic order. In San Carlos de Bariloche, Alric Galindez Arq organizes daily life upstairs and tucks children’s, guest, and service rooms below, using section and sequence to hold views and keep the vegetation intact.
Arrive From Above
Approach happens at the high point. A ramped bridge lands directly on the upper level, skipping the ground so the original brush remains undisturbed and the slope reads continuous beneath. The move turns arrival into a reveal, bringing visitors straight into the heart of the house rather than through a conventional ground entry.
Invert The Plan
Living, cooking, and dining occupy the top floor with the main bedroom close at hand. Sliding doors open to a broad terrace that runs the length of the elevation, pulling sightlines to water and hills while keeping circulation compact. Below, children’s bedrooms, guest rooms, and services consolidate, giving the family a quiet level that stays cool and grounded.
Bridge And Terrace
The upper volume pulls back from the lower to cast shade and shape outdoor life. That offset forms a generous terrace above and a semi-covered zone beneath that acts as a secondary entrance with room for bicycles and vehicles. Movement slips between these layers, so daily routines link indoors, terrace, and the lifted garden without crossing fragile ground.
Black Slate, Warm Core
One material wraps the exterior: black slate reads as roof and wall in a single, durable coat. Inside, a timber box carries warmth and memory (a nod to traditional Patagonian homes) while keeping the palette tight and legible. The contrast clarifies the plan—dark shell outside, light wood within—so rooms feel oriented and the terrace becomes a clear extension of the main floor.
Rooms To Landscape
The open-plan upper level holds kitchen, living, and dining in one continuous volume. Views stay uninterrupted and daily rhythms hook onto the terrace for quick transitions between cooking, sitting, and stepping out. Below, the stacked bedrooms and service areas meet the slope, giving children and guests a direct, grounded relation to the original vegetation.
Evening drops and the slate deepens against the brush. The house reads as a neutral object—geometry held quiet so the lake light and low shrubs do the talking.
Photography courtesy of Alric Galindez Arq
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