Casa RWO by Gonzalo Rufin Arquitectos beautifully lives in tandem with its surroundings from the crest of a rugged ridge in Pupuya, Chile. The project’s story is a meditation on how placement and form can foster a dialogue between architecture and landscape. Perched at the highest and most exposed point of the site, the house is both a lookout and a shelter, framing panoramic views of the La Vega de Pupuya valley and the distant Pacific.
The home’s signature gesture is its bridge-like form, a horizontal volume that sits lightly atop a series of repeated wooden ribs. This structure does more than support the house; it sets a rhythm, guiding movement along the exterior walkway that runs the length of the building. Residents and guests move from the entry, past storage spaces designed for surfboards and wetsuits, toward communal living areas. Each room is accessed independently from this walkway, a design move that offers privacy and a sense of autonomy within the compact plan.
Designer: Gonzalo Rufin Arquitectos
Materials in Casa RWO are chosen for both strength and warmth. The primary structure is a steel frame, balanced by the tactile softness of wood that defines the ribs and much of the facade. This combination unifies the home visually while reinforcing the exposed main elevation against the region’s coastal winds. Shutters made from timber allow the inhabitants to modulate light and privacy, responding to the shifting conditions throughout the day. These details foreground the home’s functionality, but also its adaptability—an essential quality for a house in such an elemental setting.
The interior program is direct and efficient. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms are arranged alongside a kitchen and an open-plan living-dining area. Each space is bright, connected to the outdoors, and offers a degree of separation thanks to the independent entries. The result is a flexible retreat that accommodates both intimate family life and the ebb and flow of visiting friends, all in a footprint that remains minimal and unassuming.
Casa RWO’s presence in the landscape is defined by understatement rather than spectacle. The elongated profile and restrained palette help the house nestle into its ridge-top perch. At the same time, the repetition of its wooden ribs echoes both the persistence of coastal winds and the textures of surrounding vegetation. The project is quite generous, blessed with wide views, easy outdoor access, and spaces for leisure and adventure, all of which are integral to the experience of living here.
Still under construction, Casa RWO already offers a compelling model for site-sensitive architecture in Chile’s coastal regions. It is a house designed for the rhythms of surfing, for the changing light and weather, and quiet contemplation of the landscape. In doing so, it stands as a thoughtful response to place—a home that frames its views, shelters its inhabitants, and quietly expands the possibilities of living lightly on the land.
