La Hospederia del Errante

See the full Unusual building of the week series here.

La Hospedería del Errante (translation: ‘Guesthouse of Wandering’) is an experimental house in Ritoque, Chile. It was designed by architect Casanueva Carrasco and developed as part of the Open City field of architectural experimentation.

Construction began in 1981, creating a basic structure comprising masonry walls, partitions and glazed walls, as well as a floor deck of timber and zinc. The architectural elements were conceived of as being autonomous, and capable of being dismantled in parts and rearranged as required.

Work on the structure was halted in 1982 as the Chilean economy collapsed. Construction continued again from 1998-2000, with funding from the National Commission of Scientific and Technological Research.

The continuation of the construction work was intended to help explore two fields of research - luminosity and wind. It uses fuselages and lattices to examine the effects of wind and light energy on design and comfort.

The fuselages were conceived as technical elements capable of facing the fluid effects of wind and rain. The building faces south with planes curved to deflect the wind. The lattices were conceived as light control devices, with the interior designed as a place of residence, study and contemplation.

[edit] Find out more

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Building of the week series.
• Container City.
• Drina river house.
• House Attack.
• Nautilus House.
• The Hole House.
• Unusual building design of the week.
• Upside Down House, Poland.
• Vernacular architecture.