Esteras Perrote’s Brick-Clad Painting Studio Nestled in Argentinian Woodland

Atelier Cambre, a skylit painting studio by the Argentine practice Esteras Perrote, sits in the forested Punilla Valley of Córdoba. It is crafted for artist Juan José Cambre.

The project centers on a five-metre-high main painting volume lit by four long skylights. This design evokes the sensation of painting outdoors.

A connected service volume houses essential program and a rooftop terrace. Local red brick wraps both volumes, grounding the building in its landscape.

White interiors and natural wood floors create a minimal backdrop for Cambre’s work. The design prioritizes light, landscape, and the act of painting over conventional room arrangements.

Carefully positioned windows frame woodland views throughout. This strengthens the connection to the surrounding nature.

A skylit studio rooted in landscape

The architecture frames daylight as a primary medium. It guides both form and function.

The main volume’s generous height and continuous daylight shift the studio’s atmosphere between morning clarity and late-afternoon glow. This encourages a painterly approach to scale and light.

A folding glass door opens the studio to a terrace, extending the experience of painting into the exterior space. Cross-ventilation is achieved through two tall, narrow openings that also aid canvas drying.

This architecture blurs the line between indoor work and outdoor inspiration. The studio is embedded within its natural setting.

Light strategy and outdoor-inspired painting experience

The design emphasizes controlled daylight as an essential material. Four elongated skylights run the length of the main volume, bathing the canvas area in diffuse light.

These skylights allow the painter to exploit subtle shifts in illumination throughout the day. The terrace and folding glazing create a flexible boundary between interior practice and exterior ambiance.

Artists can choose a transparently connected or more secluded working environment. In this sense, Atelier Cambre functions as a climate-controlled pavilion for painting in dialogue with nature.

Materials, form and local context

The project uses materials that speak to its landscape while maintaining a restrained, contemporary language. Both the studio volume and the service tower are clad in locally sourced red brick, referencing a former on-site structure.

This helps the building sit quietly within the woodland setting. Internally, white finishes and natural wood floors provide a clean backdrop for artwork.

A steel mezzanine above the studio houses a study area and a compact kitchenette, overlooking the main space. A distinctive detail is the green cabinet doors beside the kitchenette, serving as the sole interior colour accent.

These material choices reinforce a sense of calm. Cambre’s paintings are allowed to take center stage.

• Red brick cladding to root the building in its site and evoke regional construction heritage
• White interiors with natural wood floors for a minimal, neutral backdrop
• Steel mezzanine providing a study space and kitchenette with views over the studio
• Green interior cabinetry as a deliberate accent
• Glazed passage linking the painting space to the service volume, while maintaining openness

Spatial logic, circulation and landscape framing

The two linked volumes—one for painting and one for service—form a compact, tower-like composition. The main volume houses the five-metre-high painting space.

The secondary volume accommodates bathrooms, circulation, and a rooftop terrace. The short glazed passage between volumes ensures easy movement without interrupting the studio’s core atmosphere.

Carefully positioned windows act as framed views, anchoring the interior in the surrounding woodland. They offer curated glimpses of the landscape.

Program, circulation and identity

The arrangement prioritizes the painter’s workflow. A large, uninterrupted space for canvases is connected to a service tower that contains necessary support spaces and outdoor access.

The terrace provides an external extension for work in good weather. The interior layout is deliberately minimal, ensuring that the primary focus remains on light and landscape.

The project presents a quiet architectural companion to the artist’s practice. It is designed to respond to Córdoba’s climate and the rhythm of the surrounding forest.

Photography of the project by Javier Agustín Rojas

 
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