A dialog with the territory
This is a project of a basic conception of quotidian, change the roof of a house due to its severe deterioration and its potential danger. For us this reason has been a great opportunity for transformation, to contribute to the quality of life of the occupants of the house. We understood that in addition to changing the roof, we could modify the spaces that are located next to it and for some reason are linked to the roof. It is a situation that we have taken full advantage of, from this we have magnified and amplified the relationship of users with their environment. The client has a close relationship with nature, and from her artistic practice, she has developed her work around the mountains, the sea, the air, etc. Knowing this, it has been vitally important for us to pay tribute to the completion of this roofing project.
That way we can talk about the territory and the place where we live. Quito is a city inserted in a great mountain – the Pichinchas – and has adapted to the slopes of the Andes. At an overwhelming speed, this city has grown and grown, forgetting this very special geographical situation. Under these circumstances, the constructions do not have direct links with the mountains and volcanoes.
Pilar Flores, the client, has always drawn one of the Pichinchas, Condor Huachana, always from the same position, focusing and valuing it. With a technique of colored pencils, she has registered a collection of mountains that have been made at different times, marking the changes in light and the different temporalities. Understanding this, the proposed architecture is the intensification of the Condor Huachana, the relationship of the house with the eastern mountain range, the Pichinchas, and the snowy Cotopaxi.
We have made 4 territorial connections.
The first is a periscope from the entrance to the house on the upper floor, just when you look up you focus on Condor Huachana, it is inside the house, it is part of daily life.
Taking advantage of the modification of the roof, in the main room space was changed, now it is a double-height space made of plywood and an opening was made on one of the sides of the roof, which is complemented by a high desk that allows working directly with the mountain.
The winery that has had a direct connection with the roof and has always been a relegated space, was decided to make a nest that contains you and an incision was also made that generated a link with the mountain, now it is a space to be that stores.
On the deck, spaces were designed to be, that connects you with the territory and its different mountains, so all sunsets and sunrises can be recorded. They can become a source of inspiration for new creations and daily gratifications for life.
