IBSP II modular house on stilts navigates steep Chilean terrain

Ignacio Rojas Hirigoyen and Leonardo Gúzman Valencia completed the Industrialized Building System Prototype II (IBSP II) in 2025 on a steep 5,000-square-metre site in Matanzas, Chile. The 120-square-metre single-family residence uses diagonal, self-supporting stilts to traverse the topography, separating the structural frame from the enclosure. The triangular arrangement of supports frees the rectangular two-story interior from columns. Timber modular panels containing cladding, insulation, shading, and ventilation enclose the two-bedroom house within a metal frame. A layered metal roof floats above. Each component can be disassembled, replaced, or updated without demolition. The house was assembled without skilled labor in less than one day. The architects deliberately chose a difficult site with steep slopes, wind, salinity, and intense solar radiation to test the prototype. Hirigoyen stated the envelope acts as a climatically active facade unit improving thermal and acoustic comfort. The project builds on a 2023 first prototype addressing the global housing crisis. Photography by Javier Agustín Rojas and Ignacio Rojas Hirigoyen.