Description

Most of Camilo Restrepo’s work is located in Medellin, the second-largest city of Colombia. Restrepo finds inspiration in the mountainous topography and takes advantage of the favourable climatic conditions of the region. The Casa JG was built in a subdivision on the south-eastern hills of the city, a few kilometres outside the metropolitan area. The sloping terrain offers wonderful views of the city but, at the same time, leaves the house exposed to other dwellings which sit on higher ground at the rear. Such a situation determined the general layout of the house which uses the services and circulation spaces as visual barriers on the east side. That way, the living and dining rooms, as well as bedrooms, can enjoy unobstructed views of the city and the western hills on the opposite side of the Aburra Valley.

The three main bodies of the house are separated by irregular recesses that form narrow internal passages into one another and playful nooks outside. The northernmost block contains the garage, laundry and the maid’s apartment. The central block houses the kitchen and the social area (dining and living room). Although the main entrance appears to be prominent in the plan, its location at the back of the house, makes it imperceptible at first glance and, hence, spatially inconsequent.

The southernmost block of the house contains the bedrooms which are distributed in two levels: the upper level is occupied entirely by the master bedroom while the lower level is dedicated to the children. It comprises two ample bedrooms and a nursery/playroom, which can later be transformed into a study room.

As if replicating the rugged topographic contours, the roof appears as a disjointed series of protruding volumes. In fact, these are lightwells that reach out for natural light to illuminate areas of the house which would otherwise be dark (hallways, bathrooms and wardrobes). Although inaccessible, the roof can be considered as a topography in its own right which establishes a formal connection with the natural surroundings. Like other houses designed by Restrepo, the JG house demonstrates the architect’s interest in carrying out formal, spatial and material explorations inspired by the natural conditions of the region.

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Originally published in: Felipe Hernández, Beyond Modernist Masters. Contemporary Architecture in Latin America, Birkhäuser, 2009.