Casa Huarango
Paracas, Ica (2019)
House

Paracas is a very special place on the desert coast of Peru 300km south of Lima. Paracas in the Quechua language means rain of sand (para: rain, and aco: sand), because in this territory where it never rains, there are frequent episodes of strong winds loaded with sand that define the character of the place. Paracas is also a culture that flourished 3,000 years ago there. Celebrated are their sophisticated textiles which were used layer upon layer to protect the mummified bodies from the hostile desert climate inside large rectangular underground chambers.

The Huarango house is precisely protected from paracas winds through layers. On the outer perimeter, a palisade wraps around the house and slows down the wind. Then further inside, a following perimeter of travertine and glass allows to close the interior completely. In the interstice, protected outdoor spaces such as patios, swimming pools, accesses and terraces are generated.

The great solar incidence and absence of rain determines that the roof is only sufficiently opaque as the crown of a huarango tree: "THE HUARANGO TAKES FIRE FROM THE SUN" wrote José María Arguedas. The roof is then a large shade that covers the entire ground and "paints" the house with shadows that move throughout the day with the sun.