Santiago de Chile's Casa Oruga was built from 12 repurposed shipping containers. Designed by architect Sebastián Irrazábal, this home for an art collector stands on a mountain slope overlooking the city and the magical Andes Mountains. Prefab, eco and very clever, the containers rest on the lean environment bringing in natural light and plenty of fresh air from the mountain tops.
The magnificent Casa Oruga (Caterpillar) rests on a mountain slope in the suburbs of Santiago de Chile. Totally integrated to the landscape, the corrugated iron boxes will get rustier with time mimicking the reddish tone of the mountains. Prefab yet luxurious, this family home was made by 5 long, 6 short and 1 open shipping container that was used for the patio and pool.
Casa Oruga’s interiors are modern, bright and airy. The common areas were placed at the lower part of the house and are filled with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the amazing landscape. The clever reuse of the corrugated boxes not only accelerated the building time reducing costs; it also gave a new shiny life to “another man’s trash.”
Photos by Sergio Pirrone
