CONTEXTO

When settling in Lima in the sixteenth century, Spanish Conquistadores planted an olive grove, which now lies in the middle of the ten million inhabitant city. Due to their historical significance, surviving 400 year old olive trees are protected as National Heritage. During Lima’s great expansion of the 1920’s, the forest was urbanized with (culturally and climate alien) Neo-Tudor revival architecture. Proliferation of recent contemporary new buildings in the forest, raised protest from conservative neighbors, leading the government to mandate the preservation of its revival character, by obliging any new construction in the area to be strictly done in Tudor style. We were asked to design a new house in a plot containing 4 of those centennial olive trees. In a rainless desert environment such as Lima, with so few trees and a millennial tradition of masonry building, designing inside a forest and with an assembly construction system is quite a unique task.

ACTUACIÓN

The proposed scheme successfully managed to stimulate family life by adapting the traditional house scheme to its particular plot conditions and complying with all heritage compromises. Half-sunken bedrooms acquired great intimacy and environmental comfort while providing a strong relationship with the trees. Outdoor areas were maximized in a playful garden. The weird Tudor straitjacket when turned into a structural element as opposed to simply a ‘style’ enhanced the spatial quality of the living areas, and proved the possibilities of working within very restrictive conditions, still managing to deliver a happily ever after for a contemporary lifestyle.