Ecuador Houzz Tour: A Forest Cabin Ramps Up Sustainable Design
This playful sustainable home was built on a steep incline, without disturbing the land or natural drainage patterns
This farmhouse in Ecuador is an example par excellence of tailoring a building’s structure to the requirements of the land. “It’s very exciting to see that the values of the project have been understood [by others],” says Juan Carlos Bamba, one of the three founders of Taller Manglar studio, which was in charge of the project.
Indeed, the ‘Cabañón DLPM’, as this project has been christened, has gained significant recognition. It was a finalist in the International category of FAD Awards of Architecture and Interior Design 2019. It also won the National and International Architectural Design Awards at the 20th Pan American Architecture Biennial in Quito, Ecuador, and the García de Paredes Award for Innovation and Sustainability of the College of Architects of Granada, Spain. Most recently, it’s been selected for the Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism 2019.
Indeed, the ‘Cabañón DLPM’, as this project has been christened, has gained significant recognition. It was a finalist in the International category of FAD Awards of Architecture and Interior Design 2019. It also won the National and International Architectural Design Awards at the 20th Pan American Architecture Biennial in Quito, Ecuador, and the García de Paredes Award for Innovation and Sustainability of the College of Architects of Granada, Spain. Most recently, it’s been selected for the Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism 2019.
The owners selected two of the few trees on the property to frame the house. One of these, a carob tree, is pictured here.
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The house rises 9 metres off the ground at its highest point, but there are no stairs. As this cross-section shows, it’s made up of three inclined plains, or ramps, which form overlapping internal decks.
“The project is unique because it explores the possibility of living on an inclined plane and preserving the land as it is,” Bamba says.
Here is a close look at the ramp structure, which is like the “spine” of the house. “The concrete for the slabs was mixed with rice hulls, which reduces the weight by nine tonnes, generating a semi-open, low-cost structure,” Bamba says.
Here is a close look at the ramp structure, which is like the “spine” of the house. “The concrete for the slabs was mixed with rice hulls, which reduces the weight by nine tonnes, generating a semi-open, low-cost structure,” Bamba says.
A structure made of Guadua – a type of bamboo – supports the central brick core.
“Guadua cane has a smaller environmental impact than wood: it grows faster, and you don’t have to cut down the entire plant to obtain material. All you need is one of its shoots, so it’s more like pruning than felling. The cane structure of the house lies on the ground inside small concrete plinths, thus preserving the natural terrain and its drainage patterns,” the architect explains.
“Guadua cane has a smaller environmental impact than wood: it grows faster, and you don’t have to cut down the entire plant to obtain material. All you need is one of its shoots, so it’s more like pruning than felling. The cane structure of the house lies on the ground inside small concrete plinths, thus preserving the natural terrain and its drainage patterns,” the architect explains.
Yet the use of inclined ramps raises the obvious question: where and how to place furniture. “You can’t use standard furniture. The critical thing in this house is the floor – it’s as though it has been turned back into a play area, just like in your childhood,” the architect says.
“All the coastal cabins [in Ecuador] follow this construction scheme in some way: a central structural brick and concrete core that houses the bathrooms and contains and insulates the kitchen; then, a scaffold-like envelope made of cane and wood,” Bamba says. Therefore, this structure represents revised vernacular architecture.
It doesn’t get cold in this region, so the envelope, made up of mosquito netting, glass and polycarbonate, functions primarily to protect the house from the garúa, a drizzle or mist that’s brought in by the trade winds along the coast.
Air conditioning is unnecessary because of the permeable structure and the large cantilevered roof, which extends into a large overhang that shades the home. Matched with the building’s cross ventilation and some strategically placed fans, this makes air conditioning unnecessary.
Air conditioning is unnecessary because of the permeable structure and the large cantilevered roof, which extends into a large overhang that shades the home. Matched with the building’s cross ventilation and some strategically placed fans, this makes air conditioning unnecessary.
The mosquito net. Extended family enjoy the home too.
The cane structure rises gradually off the ground, allowing the garden to extend under the house.
The home’s impact on the environment is minimal: Water comes from a well dug at the beginning of the project, and solar panels will be installed in future.
The owner, a member of the In Terris Foundation – which promotes sustainable communities – has incorporated dry and semi-dry toilets into the house, as well as a pond system for the treatment of wastewater that allows it to be reclaimed for irrigation.
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The owner, a member of the In Terris Foundation – which promotes sustainable communities – has incorporated dry and semi-dry toilets into the house, as well as a pond system for the treatment of wastewater that allows it to be reclaimed for irrigation.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a son
Location: Las Tunas, Manabí, on the coast of Ecuador
Size: 411 square metres
Architects: Juan Carlos Bamba, Ignacio de Teresa, and Alejandro González
Budget: About US$40,000 (€37,000)
The cabin is tucked among the lush greenery of the Manabí province on the north-west coast of Ecuador, and overlooks the Pacific ocean.
The owners were looking for somewhere to spend nights when they are out in the fields too long, as well as to store equipment and monitor the surrounding farmland. The cabin has since evolved into a weekend and holiday getaway.
They chose to build on an extremely steep, 20-percent incline. The brief was to place the house between two of the few trees that are on the land and keep costs down. The result is this 411-square-metre cabin, which cost 88 euros per square metre to build.