The city of Puerto Natales is located 247 kilometers (km) northeast of Punta Arenas, and is the capital of the province Ultima Esperanza. Natales is known as the entrance door to the worldwide-known national park Torres del Paine, which is about 145 km north of the city. It is characterized as being picturesque, and it combines perfectly with its surrounding that is located at the banks of the Señoret canal, from whose coastal avenue are observed big mountainous chains that, with their snowy summits, invite that the architecture of this project connects itself with the nature of an environment of awe-inspiring southern Chilean beauty.
Victor Alvarez comes from a pioneering family in Puerto Natales. His family penetrated into the navigation of the southern Chilean canals, dedicating themselves to cabotage. The logging enterprise and the incipient zonal tourism led them to become the pioneers of the commercial navigations in the zone. Since 1910 they are possessors of the first sailing boats that ploughed through these cold waters of Seno Ultima Esperanza. With this historical background Mr. Victor Manuel manifests his wish that his home be with some influence of a boat with a lighthouse in the upper part of the building to be able to connect with those southern Chilean views and with the history of his past.
The idea of manifesting this project is to get as close as possible to the ideas of Victor Manuel Alvarez, contemplating the local materials, and adapting as much as possible with the terrain and the surrounding properties.
The project is a narrow rectangle that is displaced along the length of the land. This helps to obtain cross ventilation in the entire program.
Ground floor: Offices
First Floor: All areas of daylight (kitchen, dinning room, 1⁄2 bathroom and halls.)
Mezzanine: Living Room
Second Floor: Night area (Bedrooms) Third Floor: Main Bedroom Lighthouse