Peaceful Retreat in the Forest Invites Nature to Come In
Living in the midst of nature is one thing. Inviting nature into your peaceful retreat as a part of the living space is something entirely different. In the case of the Corallo House by PAZ Arquitectura, it is also something completely wonderful. Residing in a heavily forested area of Guatemala City, the Corallo House incorporates the surrounding forest into its overall design. The home is in the forest, but the forest is also in the home.
One of the main goals of the project was to preserve the existing trees on the site and incorporate them into the home’s overall design. The result is a home that uses both natural materials and nature itself – in the form of living, growing trees – to honor the beautiful piece of earth on which it sits.
The interior changes in level correspond with the natural topography changes of the site itself. The home hugs the natural contours of the landscape, connecting it even more firmly to the forest in which it resides.
Inside and out, the home’s materials reflect nature at every turn. Rich oiled wood, weathered timber, expansive glass, smooth pebbles and rough stones, shiny steel and exposed concrete – and, of course, the living trees – all combine to form a gentle conversation with the forest.
While the entire house is amazing and truly an unforgettable architectural treat, it seems likely that the residents would have a hard time enjoying the whole building. When you have a bedroom this spectacular, why would you ever want to leave it?
About Paz Arquitectura
“Paz Arquitectura is a workshop specialized ind design and architecture established in 2005 by Alejandro Paz. Through the challenge that design imposes, Paz Arquitectura intends to approach each project as an opportunity to question the very nature of the elements that make up the design with the purpose of providing efficient and positive solutions for the user.”
“We view architecture as an opportunity for the designer to intervene in the nature of the human being to improve their living conditions and their development in the world we inhabit. The design becomes the integration of the instruments to improve the way of life of the human being, technology, optimization of resources, management of the environment, integration with nature and the exploration of materials.”
