Complerion year: 2011 Gross built area: 250 m2 Project location: Potrerillos, Mendoza, Argentina Program / Use: Commercial architecture - Hospitality - Photo credits: Luis Abba

The project consists of an adventure and sports activity center located on the shoreline of the Potrerillos Dam in Mendoza. It emerged from the forced relocation of the company’s original base—historically linked to the river—due to the filling of the new reservoir. In response, the studio developed a master plan for the new site assigned by the government, within a context of limited financial resources and uncertainty regarding the permanence of the constructions, which might eventually need to be dismantled and relocated. These conditions defined the initial strategy: to reuse existing materials—primarily logs and timber from former wooden cabins—and combine them with local stone and lightweight metal structures. This material logic not only addressed economic and constructive constraints, but also established a distinct Andean identity, setting a clear guideline for the future development of the dam’s surroundings: black metal, glass, wood, and stone as a shared palette. The complex is organized as a group of buildings with different functions, developed in stages under a consistent design and material logic. The main sector, known as the “Super Quincho,” now houses the restaurant, kitchen, and central gathering space, accompanied by a cantilevered deck-gallery oriented toward the landscape. The center operates exclusively during the day, and together with the harsh high-mountain climate—very cold winters, hot summers, and constant breezes—this condition shaped a bioclimatic strategy based entirely on passive systems. The primary bioclimatic strategy consisted of anchoring the building to the hillside, like a wing that does not fully touch the mountain, separating the roof from the terrain with a glazed strip. The building opens toward the north and functions like a greenhouse, allowing rapid heat gain during winter days in accordance with its daytime use. In summer, cross ventilation harnesses prevailing breezes through shutters and lift-up window doors, while carefully dimensioned overhangs provide seasonal shading. The complex thus avoids artificial climate control systems, relying exclusively on passive environmental strategies. The master plan allowed for the gradual incorporation of new activities, such as the canopy circuit, adding specific buildings always under the same constructive and material logic. Among them, the restroom volume stands out, built during the first phase with stone walls, recycled log enclosures, and a floating fully glazed roof that provides natural light. Perimeter windows beneath the sloped roof allow ventilation and views of the surrounding landscape, integrating even a high-use program into the broader spatial experience. After more than fifteen years of continuous operation, the complex demonstrates the strength of a strategy based on resource economy, material coherence, and climatic adaptation, consolidating an architecture that responds to its geographic, operational, and temporal context.