Ecological. Logical. Sustainable. Healthy. Happy. Natural.
More than simply buzzwords, these are the principles that guide the CAS4 housing project.
Launched by the Arquitectura Sustenable team, CAS4 offers pre-fabricated houses that aim to “minimise contamination, save natural resources and achieve a design integrated with nature.”
Sound too good to be true? Maybe not…
CAS4 (Photo: Kamilo Hernández)
CAS4 houses are prefabricated on a module system, and buyers can select how many modules they want in accordance with what size house they would like. Constructed 100% with certified Argentine materials, the modules take three months to construct and one week to assemble.
Now comes the interesting bit. The houses utilise a system of alternative energy, relying on both solar and wind energy sources. With CAS4, the goal is that you “have the option to be autonomous”. But you also have the option to stay connected – CAS4 houses can be plugged into the local grid.
With CAS4, however, utilising solar energy isn’t just a matter of strapping on solar panels. The modules are designed in such a way as to optimise the suns’ light. Each contracted project is uniquely designed to take into account the natural dynamics of the area where it will be constructed.
In the interest of conserving natural resources, the houses also have a water collector on the roof. The first CAS4 model has already been constructed in Villa Ruiz, about 20 – 30 minutes from Tigre.
Arquitectura Sustenable’s vision is holistic, taking into account the needs of both the natural environment and the residents of the house. For example, every CAS4 housing project includes a biodynamic garden. In addition to being organic, these gardens are cultivated in accordance with the lunar calendar, an effort to align the body with “natural cycles”.
The gardens also utilise water recycled through the collector and compost encouraged by natural decomposers.
What’s more, with CAS4CASA, a new showroom in Tigre, the group expands to “contemporary and sustainable” interior design.
As Gaby Abentín, designer, astrologer and member of the Arquitectura Sustenable team observes, the CAS4CASA gallery is inspired by the principle that, “with what I have – with the basics – I can make a very beautiful place”.
The gallery hosts exhibitions that rotate every six weeks, focusing on showcasing “contemporary, emerging or acclaimed artists”. The first artists to be featured in the showroom were Claudio Roncóli, Gaby Messina and Mariano Aja.
CAS4 (Photo: Kamilo Hernández)
The gallery also features furniture and other interior decorating models that are constructed in accordance with the ideals of the project. At its opening, the gallery featured tables and chairs of Nordic design by Luciano E Ianulli and an enormous table by Yanko Kuraja, among other works.
Just as CAS4 seeks to integrate with its natural environment, CAS4CASA seeks to integrate with its neighborhood; the gallery is located on the Boulevard Saez Peña in Tigre, a street that the Arquitectura Sustenable group promotes an up-and-coming trendy neighborhood. Every six weeks, the street is closed down on Friday evening to allow galleries to remain open, and the evening typically features a movie showing.
The CAS4 team has a long-term dream for their project. As Mercedes Molino, the designer responsible for the biodynamic gardens, noted, “these things are contagious”; the team’s hope is that when people see CAS4 houses being constructed in their neighborhood, they will be curious enough to start asking questions – and the phenomenon can spread from there.
