The House by Fuy River by Iragüen Viñuela Arquitectos is a 150-square-metre retreat in southern Chile built from glued-laminated mass timber on the edge of the Fuy River. Designed for a forest clearing near the Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve, the three-storey home minimizes its footprint by stacking living spaces vertically beneath a hipped roof. CNC-machined glulam components were prefabricated off-site as a structural kit, with full-height timber frames transported fully assembled to reduce construction time. Large glazed curtain walls and pre-painted metal cladding complete the low-maintenance exterior suited to the local climate.
The interior organizes guest accommodation and utility spaces on the ground floor, while an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area occupies the middle level. The upper floor contains the primary bedroom alongside a bathroom and sauna overlooking the surrounding forest canopy. Exposed timber beams, columns and diagonal braces remain visible throughout the interior, connected by a central spiral staircase.
What's Driving This Trend
- Vertical Timber Retreats
- Compact multi-storey layouts in natural settings create new potential for low-footprint hospitality, second-home, and eco-lodging models that preserve more surrounding land.
- Prefabricated Glulam Kits
- CNC-machined mass timber systems enable faster rural construction with fewer on-site disruptions, opening space for scalable architectural products in remote and sensitive locations.
- Forest-integrated Wellness Homes
- Residential designs that pair canopy views, saunas, and exposed natural materials reflect a growing market for wellness-oriented architecture rooted in biophilic living.
Who This Affects Most
- Sustainable Architecture
- Mass timber structures are expanding the design vocabulary for low-carbon buildings while supporting premium aesthetics and reduced construction waste.
- Eco-tourism
- Remote retreats with minimal footprints and immersive forest experiences point to differentiated accommodation concepts for nature-based travel markets.
- Prefab Construction
- Off-site fabrication of structural timber components presents efficiency gains for builders facing labor constraints, difficult terrain, and shorter building seasons.
