The Algarrobos House in Puembo, Ecuador, sits atop a ravine while its imposing architecture overlooks the land. Collaborating for this highly successful residential project, Ecuador-based architects Jose Maria Saez and Daniel Moreno Flores designed the contemporary display of modern architecture as a generously sized steel structure.
The surrounding countryside with mountaintops and clear far views is being collected through extensive use of glass to be brought inside and enjoyed by the owners. Floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights and gaps in the architecture allow the inhabitants to take in all the natural surroundings, reminding them of the importance of a healthy, empowering environment.
Cantilevering over the ravine, steel elements construct a relationship between the surroundings and interiors: “Eight identical steel members, 18 meters long, placed along the x y z axis, confine the space for the house and at the same time open it as they project in different directions.” A wooden support system underneath defines the spaces, while the glass completes the enclosures.
The importance of the surroundings is present throughout: “The use of reflecting pools on the metal roofs insists on the strategy of mirroring the surroundings, diluting in part the presence of the architecture.” By alternating solutions for environmental and indoor living, the architects constructed a site-specific design language that flourishes with each interaction.
