London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 03, 2025

A Patagonian Prefab Cabin Is Built to Withstand Volatile Climates

A Patagonian Prefab Cabin Is Built to Withstand Volatile Climates

This elevated prefab cabin along the Chilean Andes has a buffer zone that helps protect it against harsh climatic conditions.

The town of Vilches in Southern Chile is perched about halfway up the Andes Mountain. Surrounded by parklands and nature reserves, the area is an idyllic place for enjoying breathtaking nature. However, there is one drawback for residents: the extreme climatic conditions.



On the first floor of Casa R is a woodshed and a "chiflonera." This area between the interiors and exteriors is commonly found in Chilean/Patagonian homes, as it helps to regulate the region’s extreme temperature changes.

Felipe Lagos, the Chilean architect of Santiago–based studio TuCroquis is hard at work designing homes in the area that can accommodate rapid changing weather. One of his recent projects is Casa R, a modular holiday cabin nestled in the middle of a lush forested site.



Steel was chosen for the frame of the cabin because of its fire and water resistant qualities.

The 1,033-square-foot space features a buffer zone, known locally as a "chiflonera," an area between the interiors and exteriors that is commonly found in Chilean/Patagonian homes, as it helps to regulate the region’s extreme temperature changes.



TuCroquis interior designer Ramón Vallejos furnished the cabin with a plywood kitchen, durable furniture from MueblesSur, and washable cushions that can be used both indoors and out.



The kitchen area and living/dining spaces are located on the first level, along with a bathroom.



While some of the modules have enclosed walls, others are left open for better connection to the outdoors.



The chiflonera leads to the entrance of the cabin.



"The cabin is elevated from the ground, and has slopes on the terraces and two floors. The slopes blends with the natural terrain and help reduce costs in foundations. The roof also has a steep slope to protect it from snowfall in the winter," explains Lagos.



Lagos has raised the cabin above the ground on supporting steel to avoid damaging any of the existing trees on site.



The home is spread across two floors.



Casa R Sectional Drawing.



Casa R Floor Plan.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×