La Casita Hedonista

The Hedonistic Little House is an expansion and remodeling project of a PH (horizontal property) in Buenos Aires, designed by Fabrizio Pugliese Arquitectos + Ohio Estudio for an artist and writer. The intervention stems from the decision to preserve the existing structure of the dwelling, maintaining its material and spatial footprint as a starting point for the transformation.

From the outset, the team decided to maintain the existing house, preserving its original character. The original brick walls were left exposed, and the pine woodwork was restored. A tubular metal structure was designed over the existing building, creating the new square footage and giving rise to a new home.

During the design process, the owner presented the workA Bigger Splashby David Hockney. From this, a specific color palette was constructed for each space and situation. The project understood color not as a superficial intervention, but as a spatial logic that accompanied the experience of inhabiting the space.

What comes to mind when we talk about inhabiting a space? How does the body unfold in space and transform it into a home? The home appears as the microcosm of each person. Here, the dematerialization of standardized preconceptions about domestic spaces was explored: inhabiting was stripped of its labels and redefined in each exchange with the person who would live there.

On the ground floor, the typical courtyard of the PH (horizontal property) was restored and transformed into a green space where the vertical circulation was developed. The spiral staircase, located under a transparent roof, connected the different levels and flooded the interior with natural light, maintaining the visual connection with the sky and taking advantage of the site's orientation.

A rectangular operation was transformed into aconversation pittan in color, designed as a space to contemplate the fire, read, watch a movie, meet and listen to music.

The sky-blue kitchen faces the patio and acts as a link between the interior and the semi-covered space, allowing cooking without losing the visual and social connection with the garden. At the back of the property, the pool—sized for swimming laps—is finished with a hot tub. An existing structure was also recycled to create theguest houseIt was accessed via the typical hallway of the PH (horizontal property) without going through the main house. The dwelling could be completely enclosed using shutters.

On the intermediate floor were a bedroom with access to the green terrace, a laundry room, and a full bathroom in light blue and ochre tones. This bathroom was connected by a conduit to the sleeping area on the upper level, allowing dirty laundry to be deposited without having to go downstairs.

On the top floor, an intimate space was designed comprising the master bedroom, bathroom, and office. The design eschewed the standard bedroom layout, instead creating a dedicated "sleeping space": the bed as an object, articulated with a cylindrical volume that housed the more private elements of the bathroom. The bathtub was positioned beneath an oculus surrounded by vegetation, allowing bathers to gaze at the sky.

The desk was oriented towards the green terrace and garden. The entire space was unified by a pink unit that integrated wardrobes, a main sink area, a bookcase, and a reading seat. This level could be fully opened or closed off to the covered patio, receiving natural light throughout the day.

The different heights of the home offered multiple experiences: descending to theconversation pitGathering around the dining table or sharing at the kitchen counter. The project thus explored how living could become an act of pleasure, identity, and connection.