ECUADOR CASA RIBA
Located in the Puembo Valley, in the Ecuadorian Andes, Casa Riba is a vast 520-square-meter residence spread across two levels, which engages with the surrounding landscape through its forms and materials. Tec Taller Ec focused on a single element, which dictated the concept of the entire project: a carob tree.
The design of the home is modeled not only to preserve the tree but also to frame and highlight it, taking the design approach to the extreme in relation to the natural element: the result is a quarter-circle hollowed out to « contain » the carob tree, not native to these areas, which rises the full height of the house. The glass façade that connects the architecture and the tree does not follow the curved shape of the volume, but is positioned in an L-shape: a device that allowed greater design freedom in the interior solutions.
Going into detail, the ground floor houses the living area, with the side entrance marked by a deep void in the façade that interrupts the curved wall: a gesture that marks the main entrance and, at the same time, introduces a contemplative pause in the visual sequence of the elevation.
On the upper level, however, the dimension becomes more intimate, with a more compact volume that leaves room for a large terrace. Connecting the floors is a lightweight staircase, made entirely of wooden treads and facing a glass wall.
The use of materials also hints at the desire for connection with the landscape. Where the large transparent surfaces are interrupted, a layer of vertical wooden slats gives rhythm to the volumes, further reinforcing the idea of an essential bond between the building and nature.
Source: Domusweb.it
Photo credit: Lorena Darquea
