House Between Two Rivers by Sebastián Mancera + Taller 3000

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Design Solution: House Between Two Rivers nestles into the site’s slope, holding back earth with 16-foot-high retaining walls of bush-hammered concrete. Because of this siting, one arrives at the dwelling from the roof, where only three walls—each an element in a different wing of the house—are visible. (One wing contains the living space and the kitchen, another features a series of bedrooms, and the last shapes a small courtyard with a guest suite.)

An exterior stair leads residents beneath a cantilevered beam and down to the main level, where the living space, running parallel to the ridge and lined with a wall of bi-folding doors trimmed in Spanish cedar, faces west. The kitchen is tucked underground. Hidden behind shrubbery, the swimming pool is farther down the slope, as are the bedrooms, accessed internally through a trapezoidal stair. These rooms, oriented toward the south and built of cinderblock rendered with a thin coat of concrete, are punctuated by a trio of small planted lightwells.

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Photo © César Béjar

Structure and Materials: The large concrete retaining walls provide thermal mass. On cold nights, the concrete then radiates heat and keeps the house warm without any supplemental systems. Water is pumped from a nearby spring and the house is off the grid, making use of nearby solar panels.

Additional Information
Completion date: April 2024
Site size: 2.5 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld

Photos © Photo © César Béjar

Images courtesy Sebastián Mancera + Taller 3000; click to enlarge