Brew House is conceived as an innovative fusion between domestic life and beer production, proposing a house-workshop typology that redefines the relationship between living and working spaces. Located in La Armenia, Quito, the project explores how architecture can accommodate both the intimacy of a private residence and the operational character of a small-scale brewing environment within a single spatial system.
The house is defined by a strong industrial character, expressed through its structure, material palette, finishes, and architectural details. Its spatial organization is deliberately simple: a clear floor plan, regular axes, and an efficient distribution allow the domestic and productive programs to coexist with clarity. This apparent simplicity is counterbalanced by a more complex constructive language, where each envelope, junction, and material transition is carefully resolved.
Material experimentation plays a central role in the project. Habano marble stone, commonly used as a surface cladding, is reinterpreted here as an integral component of gabion walls. These walls operate not only as physical boundaries between interior and exterior, but also as textured, massive elements that contribute to the atmosphere and thermal comfort of the house. Brick is treated as an active architectural surface rather than a static material, acquiring movement through its arrangement and rhythm. Metal elements range from a rigid structural grid to lighter and more fluid components, such as the spiral staircase. Polished concrete is used in the industrial and social areas for its durability and resistance, while wood is introduced in the residential areas to bring warmth, tactility, and a more intimate domestic scale.
Transparency is essential to the spatial experience of Brew House. Large glazed surfaces establish visual continuity between the brewing area, the living spaces, and the surrounding landscape. This openness allows the productive process to become part of the daily life of the house, rather than being hidden or isolated. Within this system, a prominent existing tree becomes a central reference point, anchoring the project and organizing the relationship between architecture and nature.
The inclined upper roof is both a formal and environmental gesture. Beyond giving hierarchy to the central social space, it maintains a generous interior height and reinforces the continuity between the main areas of the house. At the same time, its geometry supports passive ventilation by allowing hot air to rise and be expelled, acting as a thermal chimney during warm days.
At the heart of the interior, the spiral staircase introduces a bold and poetic counterpoint to the orthogonal logic of the structure. It becomes a central pivot where different areas converge, enabling vertical circulation while also acting as a sculptural focal point that brings movement and tension to the space.
The façade is composed through a precise rhythm of solid and void. Materiality, openings, and constructive depth are orchestrated to create a dynamic and expressive plane. Rather than operating as a purely aesthetic surface, the façade responds to functional requirements, environmental conditions, and the project’s industrial-domestic identity.
Brew House combines the clarity of a simple spatial layout with the richness of detailed construction. Through material transformation, transparency, and a carefully calibrated industrial language, the project creates a space that is simultaneously habitable, productive, social, and deeply connected to its context.
