There was no denying that the powerful nature and the history of San Pedro would prove to be imposing factors for the construction of Alto Atacama.

The surrounding Pucara of Quitor, a massive fortress dating back to the XII century seems to be the sentinel of both the Catarpe Valley and the San Pedro oasis. The Pucara is a special place to appreciate the passing of time in recorded history.

Historically, it represents a pivotal point in the Spanish invasion of Atacama. And architecturally, it both represents the human ability to build structures that become one with its surroundings and also manages to defy the ravages of millennia.

The questions were evident;

How could we become part of this environment without changing it?
How to encourage life and movement without interfering with silence?

The plan encompassed a profound study of ancient building styles of the Altiplano, considering with humility the notion that human- made structures should be translators of the landscape.

The answers came in the form of architectural lines that follow the naturally undulating terrain but also follow the angular geometry of the surrounding cliffs

The properties of the very soil of Atacama became the color and the texture of our walls, the native wood of Coligue would cover the roofs, creating beautiful displays of light and shadow.

The San Pedro days are brilliant and full of color, and the nights clear and profound, where the only bright lights are the Milky Way and the powerful moon of Atacama.

Alto Atacama is a place that encourages what the desert teaches us: silence, inspiration and movement. It is a place that evolves with every passing day, not being in, but being the Atacama Desert.