Nestled in Peru’s Urubamba’s Huayoccari area sits Casa Huayoccar, a four-bedroom residence paying homage to its sacred surroundingsThe house nestles into the valley floor, with stone walls dividing the plot and creating a system of terraces, similar to that used by the Incas of the 15th century.Peru’s Urubamba valley is a fertile agricultural region, best known for the production of corn, quinoa and other grains.
The client had lived in the Andes for many years, working as a mediator between the indigenous local communities and industrial corporations. Now based in Lima, he still longed for the mountains, and looked to Crousse and his partner, Sandra Barclay, to build a weekend retreat. The result isa four-bedroom home that sits on a plot within a housing cooperative, where residents share common services such as water and electricity.
‘With its geometric shapes, the house is like yet another piece of mountain placed in the landscape.’ — Jean-Pierre Crousse Because this is a seismic area, the house is built almost entirely of concrete, left exposed on the upper parts of the building. This is made of a pozzolanic cement that also has a reddish tint, owing to its high iron content. The architects enhanced this tone further by applying a dye to the cement mix. ‘In the sunlight,’ says Crousse, ‘it begins to acquire this beautiful colour. It continues to darken over three or four years, and then stays as it is.
After 16 years working in Paris, Barclay and Crousse relocated to Lima in 2006, drawn home by Peru’s economic boom. They tend to resist imitating local architectural styles, and Casa Huayoccari is no exception. ‘We didn’t want it to resemble traditional white, tile-roofed Andean houses,’ says Crousse. ‘Our inspiration wasn’t the region’s architecture – it was its natural landscape.
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