Through a landscape project that includes some contemplation refuges, Campano Frío is an initiative to reforest and restore an area of fog forest, located in a rural zone of the municipality of Villamaría, Caldas, on the Condor Route, in the Río Claro basin. The property was previously a place of grazing and livestock exploitation. Because of this, the native forest was felled to give space to pastures that invaded the place.

To make the restoration viable, the property was divided into three reforestation zones and contemplation refuges were included that function as temporary housing and an environmental educational center. The process adapts to the specific characteristics of each zone, promoting ecosystemic diversity.

FOREST OF THE FOG: In the high and western part, pioneer trees will be planted to restore the soil degraded by livestock.

FOREST OF THE STREAMS: On the eastern side, near a stream, trees will be planted to protect the fertile soil and shelter the species of the basin corridor.

FOREST OF THE BIRDS: In the low zone with high humidity and native forest, trees and shrubs will be planted to support local and migratory birds.

In the Andean and high Andean forests, the dynamics of water in its gaseous and liquid forms is essential for the life of the ecosystems. The water, stored in minuscule structures and suspended in the air, flows from plants like ferns, epiphytes and mosses towards the basins. These ecosystems, rich in biodiversity, depend on the tree cover, which regulates the temperature, protects the soil from erosion and creates favorable microclimates for the vegetation. The restoration of the tree cover is crucial to recover the natural dynamics and guarantee a controlled water flow towards the rivers.

The refuge of the birds facilitates intimacy with the surroundings. From inside one can feel the native forest that embraces it and the water of the diverse streams that lull it. The new vegetation becomes a shelter and envelops the refuge. Its implantation seeks that the experience of inhabiting be an extension of the ecological restoration process, allowing the architecture to disappear visually and sensorially among the landscape. The constant presence of the fog, the sound of the water, the humidity and the diversity of birds make each stay invite to contemplate and understand the natural cycles of the Andean forest, strengthening the bond between the people and the territory.

The viewpoint refuge is located in a strategic point of the mountain. It offers a privileged panoramic view towards the canyon formed by the Taguambí and Río Claro rivers, whose waters descend from the Los Nevados National Natural Park, modeling the landscape and feeding the ecosystems of the region. This cabin reveals how the actions of ecological restoration have allowed the progressive return of the plant cover, strengthening the biodiversity, the stability of the soil and the ecological connectivity of the territory.