Caoba House

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

Caoba House 

PAE + Rubén Gómez Gañán

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Ruben Gomez Gañan, Nicolas Sanchez Jimenez

LOCATION
Colombia

AREA
100 M²

YEAR
2023

CATEGORY
Houses

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Santiago Rodriguez

INTERIOR DESIGN
Lina Maria Celis

MANUFACTURERS
Abacol, Am Ferreteria, Cerâmica Itália, Pae Productos, Tucurinca, Vidrio Andino

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

Casa Caoba is located on a tropical hillside at 900 meters above sea level, surrounded by mango trees that have been in place for over a decade.

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

This home seeks to provide a space for retreat and relaxation, while also offering an opportunity to explore various notions of interaction with the landscape and interdependence with the local species.

The home is built upon a stone base that adapts to the steep topography of the site. From here, five parallel walls extrude and organize the four domestic modules of the project.

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

In addition, these walls frame views of the surrounding Andean landscape while also providing cross-ventilation.

This allows for the creation of microclimates that improve habitability in a region that typically experiences temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

The home operates on the premise of blurring the boundaries between the built environment and the living context.

To achieve this, longitudinal walls are minimized and openings are created in the transverse walls to allow for direct relationships between each space.

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

The central module of the home is intended to be a space dedicated to reflection and reconnection with nature.

To achieve this, the southern side is left open to allow for sunlight throughout the day, while the northern side incorporates local vegetation.

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

The interior of the home prioritizes the use of honest materials that are readily available in the region. Bamboo slats line the ceiling throughout the project, providing a warm and homey feeling.

Additionally, local techniques are used to incorporate pine wood for the carpentry and teak for the furniture, creating a cohesive language contrasted by the use of stone and ceramic materials in the base.

Casa Caoba explores alternative ways not only to situate itself on a hillside topography but also how to negotiate its existence with the living species of the tropical environment.

Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa

Instead of understanding architecture as a relationship between full and empty spaces, the project proposes to act as a mediator, where each open domestic space is a negotiation and interaction between human and more-than-human actors.


Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa


Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa


Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa
Caoba House
© Mateo Pérez Correa


Caoba House
Floor plan
Caoba House
Roof plan


Caoba House
Axo
Caoba House
Axo


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