Chilean lake house is split into two timber-clad volumes

Two generations are connected by a gallery in Split House, built by Hsu-Rudolphy on the shores of the Rupanco lake, Chile.

Split House sits on small site, on a gentle slope rolling into the waters of Rupanco Lake in the country's Los Lagos region. The vacation residence designed by Hsu-Rudolphy Arquitectos features wooden surfaces that pack the building, framing the nearby lake and the Osorno volcano.

Dealing with a difficult to access site, the studio made use of local workers and relied on an established building system to complete the project.

A pilework designed according to a regular grid lifts the structure, which is formed from wood. The only exceptions are represented by steel elements used punctually, in the spaces with the largest heights, and by the corrugated metal sheets that clad the roofs of the volumes and gallery.The partners of the studio, Ian Hsü and Gabriel Rudolphy, have previously experimented with wood construction. As part of this body of work, Gabriel Rudolphy designed Hostal Ritoque and Casa SIP Panel in collaboration with Alejandro Soffia.

The genesis of the project takes its cue from the client’s request to have separate areas for the adults and the children. This starting point has been then accommodated to meet the topography of the site and enhanced views on the surrounding natural landscape.

With its 270 sqm, the building features two large living areas on the ground floor, each one completed by a large terrace overlooking the water. The ‘adult’s volume’ presents a double-height living room and a double bedroom at this floor, while a master bedroom is hosted on the upper floor. The upper level of the ‘children’s volume’ contains two double bedrooms.