Architecture Wednesday: Casa Las Peñas

The architects created a home that includes the outside surroundings into the building and decided to set the house so that it takes advantage of the views of the Chiche River canyon in El Chaquiñán, Ecuador.

From the entrance you feel surrounded by nature, and yet the property shares land space with a neighboring home; the house is located on a hill with a 30% slope but has been adapted in levels that follow the terrain, while maintain privacy from the street side.

This decision allowed for afternoon sun protection on the West facade as well as letting the morning sun inside the home. The bedrooms are on the lower level, with the public spaces above cantilever over the canyon, and the roof was designed to mimic the surrounding mountains.

The construction of the home is also interesting; it’s a system of light-weight building materials that are sandwiched between a metal structure outside and wood panels inside, making the construction easier for running plumbing and electrical. That sandwich also creates an air layer that allows fresh air when it is hot outside and saving heat while the weather gets colder, maintaining the house always at a moderate temperature. In addition, the house uses 100% renewable energy through solar panels and water is recycled via a grey water treatment system used for irrigating and water closets.

But, while all that’s nice, this one is all about the views.

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Architecture Wednesday: Loma House

Okay, so it doesn’t look like much from the outside. I mean, what’s with the electric pole and all the wires right there by the gate? But you gotta go inside this one, and then you’ll see it’s really something.

The building is an old traditional house sitting on a high, steep hill, but the idea was to reuse the old home and then restructure the inside to make it more modern for a family today.

The project used traditional construction in adobe by applying traditional techniques, and using existing materials found on the property, such as rock, dirt, eucalyptus wood, hay and reed. At the same time, for the re-functionality of the areas, new elements such as steel and glass are used to show off the new while still showcasing the old.

The home is divided into two main areas connected through the patio. The single-story section holds the more social areas: living rooms, dining room, kitchen and access to the back porch. The second floor contains the private areas such as a family room, office, library, bedrooms and a loft area.

Glass walls are placed along the interior galleries to increase thermal comfort in the areas as well as to protect the wooden structure from the rain and wind, but also create a sense of openness from every room along the courtyard, which is defined by a water mirror containing river rock and an Arupo tree.

Since this is an area where the house visually, and literally, opens up, it is considered an element that evokes both nature and the comforts of home.

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