Welcome to our gallery focusing on the extraordinarily unique One Column House Project by NE-AR.

This project is an extension and full refurbishment of an existing small summer house on the shores of a Patagonian lake in southern Argentina.

The original structure lacked the presence of an optimized spacial distribution, making for a less-than-stellar functional aspect. The redesign aimed to rectify this and better fulfill the needs of the owners.

While the original home neglected the opportunity for impressive vistas of the lake, flanked by neighboring houses that also blocked views, the redesign incorporates a detached volume extension that grounds the space closer to the lake shore and grants expansive views.

The original house was characterized by a dark dining and living area that felt completely detached from the environment and the kitchen and private bedroom areas of the home. The redesign completely subverted this limitation with an open structure.

The designers at NE-AR crafted the new extension to establish a clear division between public and private areas of the home, old areas and new ones. The existing home boasts two large bedrooms, the main bathroom and secondary bath, while the new addition houses all public areas. This includes the open kitchen, dining area, and lounge.

The entire addition shares a wide open wooden terrace, allowing the interior to spill outdoors and enjoy expansive views of the lakeshore.

The extension to the home was mainly constructed with a reinforced concrete structure. A planar roof stretches broadly from one boundary line to the other, strengthened by four large inverted beams that converge in the only load bearing element of the house.

This column, the most striking element of the design, is formed by a pair of twisted concrete shear walls that appear differently based on the angle of view.

The home design here is a study on the multiple performances that the architectural element of a column could achieve, beyond its rote structural role. It marks the center of the home, integrating a fireplace, while articulating the varied functional spaces around it. It’s both highly functional and an aesthetic hook.

We hope you find this unique home, with its twisted shear walls, as intriguing as we do!

Beneath the dark blue night sky, we see the home glowing from within its entirely open volume. The twisted shear walls can be seen from virtually anywhere in and around the home.

The lengthy volume here is bracketed on both sides by an expanse of glass panels that can be slid and retracted, thus completely opening the interior to the outdoors. Breezes and light can flow right in one side and out the other.

Viewed from the side, we see the entire length of the flooring matched by the broad timber deck. The concrete and light bleached wood of the interior contrasts with the rich tone of the outer floor.

Now we can see the home with a head-on view, enjoying the broad feeling of the open floor plan, anchored by intricate brickwork at both ends. The set of sliding glass panels is seen partially closed here.

Lighting plays a crucial role in the home’s appearance, helping shape the tone of the flooring and ceiling in the absence of traditional walls. Embedded lights in the deck highlight the outline of the roof.

Here we can see the highly effective lighting in action, spilling out over the deck and surrounding landscape. The lengthy natural wood dining table glows beneath a pair of barrel shade lamps.

The surrounding brick patio connects this section of the home with the surrounding landscape and the private body of the home as well. Through here, we can see the expansive views of the lake.

Now we can see inside the central twisted sheer wall column. There’s an ultra-modern fireplace here with a black hood vent ascending through the ceiling cavity.

There’s a decorative bowl on the hearth right now, and as we can see in the background, a wide assortment of furniture pieces spread sparingly around. The unique brick pattern wall adds a novel twist to the minimalist palette of the space.

With a bit of a turn to the side, this main support structure appears renewed as an X shape, with broad stretches of concrete visibly cradling the ceiling.

Now we reveal the house in daytime. We can see one of the floor embedded lights to the right. These subtle additions add immeasurably to the appearance of the structure.

With the warm light of day filling the entire home, the minimalist furniture appointments stand to attention. These wood block ottomans serve as a natural counterpoint to the expanses of grey concrete.

The rich texture of the wood ceiling beams is revealed when low angle sunlight hits the interior. Along the brick wall stands a row of cushioned bench seats, built in.

Finally, we pull back toward the lake to reveal the home in its full landscape context. With the glass panels moved to one side, the entire interior is visible, as we see right through to the second house structure.