Foundations House

Foundations House 

Holger Cuadrado

Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography

ARCHITECTS
Holger Cuadrado

HYDROSANITARY DESIGN
Gica Ingenieros

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Gica Ingenieros

LEAD ARCHITECT
Holger Cuadrado

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION
Ronald Paul Loján Songor, Malú Del Castillo, Brenda Barrios, Mateo Figueroa, Mateo Cuadrado, José David Sisalima

MANUFACTURERS
Hormic.ec

AREA
262 M²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Loja, Ecuador

CATEGORY
Houses

Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography

The house is located in a residential neighborhood of the city of Loja, at 2,060 meters above sea level in the lower Andes in southern Ecuador.

Situated on a small plot of 7.60 m x 13.50 m, this project seeks to reflect on issues related to the structural principle in the definition of architecture and spatial flexibility as a design resource.

Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography

The structure as the generator of the project - The house is built with exposed reinforced concrete, simultaneously resolving the internal and formal spatial order of the architecture.

The use of bearing elements is limited to what is strictly necessary, granting simplicity and clarity to the structural solution, solved with two lateral shear walls and two intermediate diaphragms that allow ample spatiality and fluidity within each floor.

Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography

The structure establishes the spatial order of the house and serves as a support for various spatial configurations inside.

From the exterior, the main volume of 5 meters in width stands out with a 3-meter cantilever towards the street, forming on the ground floor a flexible open patio for children's play next to the house's productive area.

THE PRINCIPLE OF SPATIAL FLEXIBILITY

The house is conceived as a four-level spatial container designed to accommodate various uses and users.

Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography

The ground floor and basement are configured as independent work areas, directly connected to the street, allowing residents to engage in productive or entrepreneurial activities without altering the domestic environment.

The upper floors, intended for residential use, are designed to offer the possibility of reconfiguration in the future, either as additional workspaces or independent living units.

This interior flexibility ensures that the house can adapt to the changing needs of its occupants over time.

Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography

The house is presented as an architectural solution that responds to the contemporary needs of its users, while sensitively adapting and connecting to the topography and landscape.

From the interior of the upper floors, a low parapet frames the views towards the Andes Mountains, while laterally, an inverted parapet, hanging from the ceiling, visually connects with a tree planted in the ground-floor patio.

These strategies not only enrich the visual experience from the interior but also take advantage of the favorable morning sun orientation, harmoniously integrating the house with its surroundings.

Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography


Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography
Foundations House
© Bicubik Photography


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