Lagoon View Residential Complex by Mobil Arquitectos & Álvaro Arancibia Arquitecto

The Lagoon View Residential Complex redefines the paradigm of vertical living in Chile by addressing one of the most pressing questions in contemporary housing: how can density foster community rather than isolation? Conceived as both an architectural and urban strategy, the project explores how design can support social integration in high-density environments without sacrificing comfort, identity, or the human scale.

Rethinking Vertical Community Living

Prior to this development, Chile had few precedents of large-scale residential projects that actively sought to build community within vertical structures. High-rise buildings were often associated with anonymity, long corridors, and overcrowded common spaces. The design team, Mobil Arquitectos and Álvaro Arancibia Arquitecto, set out to challenge these conventions by rethinking the elevator core as more than a functional necessity. Instead, it became a spatial and social organizer, shaping how residents encounter one another in daily life.

The result is a residential complex that merges the efficiency of high-density housing with the intimacy of neighborhood life, where shared spaces and circulation routes are designed to foster spontaneous interaction.

A Courtyard at the Heart of the Project

The complex is composed of three buildings of varying heights, carefully arranged to frame a large central courtyard. This open space acts as the heart of the community, functioning both as a visual anchor and as a gathering point.

The configuration enhances sunlight exposure, optimizes cross-ventilation, and provides a comfortable scale within the courtyard despite the density of the buildings. By lowering one of the volumes, the design ensures that all apartments maintain strong orientation toward the lagoon and surrounding landscape. The courtyard also softens the transition between private apartments and public areas, creating an intermediate realm where community life naturally unfolds.

The Elevator as a Social Core

One of the most innovative aspects of the project lies in its elevator strategy. Rather than placing long, impersonal corridors on each level, the cores are positioned at the center, serving only a limited number of units per floor. With a maximum of eight apartments connected per level, the circulation becomes shorter and more personal.

This deliberate choice not only reduces the sense of overcrowding but also promotes casual encounters between neighbors, echoing the dynamics of smaller-scale housing typologies. The elevator, typically a symbol of vertical detachment, here becomes a tool for integration and community identity.

Integration with the Neighborhood

Social integration extends beyond the internal configuration of the complex. At the urban scale, the design incorporates a corner node that functions as the main entrance and hosts commercial spaces, reinforcing the link between the residential community and the surrounding neighborhood. This permeability ensures that Lagoon View does not stand as an isolated enclave but rather as a continuation of the city fabric, blending everyday life within and around the complex.

The facades adopt a unified architectural language, avoiding visible distinctions between housing for middle-income residents and those for more vulnerable groups. By erasing architectural hierarchies, the design underlines a commitment to equity and inclusivity.

Sustainability and Comfort

Environmental sustainability was also a key concern. Passive design strategies, including sunshades and double-glazed windows, were integrated to optimize energy performance and ensure thermal comfort year-round. These measures not only reduce energy consumption but also lower operational costs for residents, aligning with the project’s broader social agenda.

Accessibility formed another cornerstone of the design process. Universal design principles ensure that shared pathways, common areas, and circulation routes are usable by residents of all ages and abilities, creating a truly inclusive environment.

Toward a Replicable Model

The Lagoon View Residential Complex demonstrates how density can be reimagined as an opportunity rather than a limitation. By prioritizing community spaces, human-scale circulation, and integration with the neighborhood, the project positions itself as a model for replicable vertical living in Chile and beyond.

Rather than imposing uniformity, it celebrates diversity of use and encounter. The courtyard becomes a stage for community life, the facades become markers of shared identity, and the elevator becomes a social catalyst. Together, these elements outline a new vision of vertical housing where density and community coexist harmoniously.

A Balanced Urban Solution

Ultimately, Lagoon View is not just a housing project but a statement on the future of urban living. It responds to the architectural challenge of high density with a design that emphasizes connection over isolation, sustainability over excess, and inclusivity over separation.

By combining architectural ingenuity with a strong social agenda, Mobil Arquitectos and Álvaro Arancibia Arquitecto have created a residential complex that feels less like a tower and more like a vertical neighborhood—a place where density fosters belonging, and where the future of integrated urban housing can be imagined.

Photography: Cristóbal Palma