Extending a home. La Parva by Elton+Leniz, Cile.

Chilean architecture firm, Elton+Leiniz has extended an existing home with a second living unit, keeping both apartments independent without altering the balance of the volumes.



Building something onto an existing construction always poses a challenge to architects. And if you are adding an extension to a finished, closed structure, like a single-family home, it ends up being a double challenge, because the new project must communicate with the existing home, without infringing on the balance of the volumes.



La Parva is a famous ski resort not far from Santiago de Chile, a very popular destination for a weekend on the snow-covered slopes. There is only limited space for new buildings so existing buildings are extended to get around this restriction.



In the case of the La Parva ski lodge, Mirene Elton and Mauricio Leniz opted to create a foundation and locate the new living unit inside this. The hillside position of the building allowed the architects to carve out 90 square metres without being forced to change the shape of the existing structure, which is distinguished by a double pitched roof.





Large glass windows are fitted into the stone façade of the new foundation and give views over the valley and Santiago. Inside, timber boards give the home a warm, welcoming atmosphere as well as hiding the concrete walls adopted for thermal insulation. Skylights were created in the patio above to make the home bright.



This project increases the residential density of the urban fabric, while averting any new subdivisions. A solution that reconciles the desire to relax with the environment.

Project: Elton+Leniz arquitectos associados http://eltonleniz.cl
Location: La Parva, Chile
Year: 2011
Photos: Natalia Vial