House 2.0._A House in the Andes | CORREA+FATEHI ODD

The façade– a composition of adobe bricks, generates a play of textures, shades and shadows when light hits at different times of day. In daylight, the shadows change with the movement of the sun; in the afternoon, the sun penetrates the perforated façade; at night, the interior lighting illuminates the façade into ephemerality and lightness, akin to a floating lamp. Born out of extensive research, the use of adobe bricks is a homage to the rich diversity of geological rock formations in Ecuador. Exploratory studies were conducted to investigate the optimal mix of composition and grain required to achieve the desired aesthetic. The bricks were made locally using the same earth excavated on-site. By doing so, the house becomes both a symbolic and spatial extension of the earth on which it rises. A single brick module was designed for this project– a form that generates the most variation and textural play in the façade.

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Reinterpreting Andean vernacular architecture for contemporary living, this project
celebrates journey and discovery through a seamless integration of landscape and built
form. The three levels of the residence rise in the form of a solid earth monolith from a
designed landscape of mounds. Carving access areas through the mounds exposes rammed
earth walls, mimicking the ancestral ‘Chaquiñán’ – a system of trails used by the ancient
Andeans to travel through the extensive rugged Andean geography. These angular creases
cut through the terrain to create a hollowed and flexible semi-underground space that
evokes a sense of astonishment and awe often present when walking within unearthed
ruins.

The façade– a composition of adobe bricks, generates a play of textures, shades and
shadows when light hits at different times of day, giving the façade an ephemeral and light
condition, akin to a floating lamp. This high-tech, ventilated façade also helps mitigate
extreme changes in daily temperature and water permeability, embodying a commitment to
sustainability that is present across the house.

The sectional characteristic of the house is highlighted by an elevator platform that moves
vertically through the three levels. This elevator platform takes the form of a ‘living room’
allowing the adjacent programs to be optimized and modified for a variety of user-specific
requirements. This programmatic and spatial flexibility extends to the fluid relationship
between indoors and outdoors. Strategic openings and a careful curation of window and
façade play with visual transparencies, blurring the boundaries between the built and the
natural. The house embraces its site and context to evolve the vernacular for Andean
architecture.

The landscape emulates the local topographical condition, with native vegetation carefully
curated to evoke a sense of highland wilderness. In A House in the Andes, vernacular
architecture is not limited to the building itself, but extends into the surrounding landscape.

Photography: Bicubik - https://www.bicubik.photo/#

[ES]

Reinterpretando la arquitectura vernácula andina para la vida contemporánea, este proyecto
celebra el viaje y el descubrimiento a través de una perfecta integración del paisaje y la
forma construida. Los tres niveles de la residencia se elevan en forma de un monolito de
tierra sólida a partir de un paisaje diseñado de montículos. El área de acceso como especie
de tallado a través de los montículos expone muros de tierra apisonada, imitando el
ancestral "Chaquiñán", un sistema de senderos utilizado por los antiguos andinos para
viajar a través de la extensa y accidentada geografía andina. Estos pliegues angulares
atraviesan el terreno para crear un espacio semi-subterráneo hueco y flexible que evoca una
sensación de asombro y asombro que a menudo se presenta al caminar dentro de ruinas
desenterradas.

La fachada, una composición de piezas de adobe, genera un juego de texturas, matices y
sombras cuando la luz incide en diferentes momentos del día, otorgando a la fachada una
condición efímera y ligera, similar a una lámpara flotante. Esta fachada ventilada de alta
tecnología también ayuda a mitigar los cambios extremos en la temperatura diaria y la
permeabilidad al agua, incorporando un compromiso con la sostenibilidad que está presente
en toda la casa.

La característica seccional de la casa se destaca por una plataforma elevadora que se mueve
verticalmente a través de los tres niveles. Esta plataforma toma la forma de una "sala de
estar" que permite optimizar y modificar los programas adyacentes. Esta flexibilidad
programática y espacial se extiende a la relación fluida entre el interior y el exterior. Las
aberturas estratégicas y una cuidadosa selección de ventanas y fachadas juegan con las
transparencias visuales, difuminando los límites entre lo construido y lo natural. La casa
abraza su sitio y contexto para desarrollar el lenguaje vernáculo de la arquitectura andina.
El paisaje emula la condición topográfica local, con vegetación nativa cuidadosamente
seleccionada que evoca una sensación de vida salvaje, donde la arquitectura no se limita al
edificio en sí, sino que se extiende al paisaje circundante.