In a eucalyptus clearing forty kilometers from Rosario, Argentina, Brigati Polak Architects have realized La Ballena, a house that seeks not to dominate its environment but to coexist with it. Surrounded by mature trees, the project anchors itself in the atmosphere of the forest, allowing nature and time to remain central protagonists.
RESIDENTIAL
For Brigati Polak, each project is approached as an inquiry into how contemporary families live and transform. La Ballena is not conceived as a static object but as an evolving organism, responsive to changing lifestyles. The design process emphasized research and authenticity rather than conformity to expectations, ensuring the house carries forward principles that may inform future projects.
The layout reflects the flexible demands of modern domestic life, where the boundaries between collective and personal spaces are increasingly blurred. Rooms accommodate social gatherings while offering quiet corners for retreat. Large transparent surfaces, diagonal pathways, and carefully framed openings create a continuous exchange with the eucalyptus forest, integrating the rhythms of the house with those of its natural context.
The construction expresses a dialogue between permanence and openness. Exposed concrete and timber provide solidity and grounding, while steel and glass introduce lightness and fluidity. This material palette underscores the dual intention of shelter and transparency. From a technical standpoint, the house embraces sustainable strategies: geothermal energy supplies heating, cooling, and hot water, while solar power supports additional energy needs, situating La Ballena firmly within its contemporary ecological context.
The project positions the house as a vessel for experiencing its environment. The scent of eucalyptus, the movement of shadows, and the shifting light are woven into daily life through spatial gestures and material choices. Rather than separating inhabitants from their surroundings, the design fosters immersion in the forest’s sensory and temporal qualities.
With La Ballena, Brigati Polak Architects deliver a residential project that functions as an open-ended architectural essay. It resists repetition, challenges conventional typologies, and proposes new ways of living rooted in authenticity. As an exploration of the dialogue between built form and nature, the house positions itself as both present response and future proposition, inviting reflection on how we inhabit and adapt within the shifting conditions of contemporary life.
