Taller General has completed a brick-and-heavy-timber house that plays on an A-frame system with glass walls to give residents a view of the surrounding volcanoes in Machachi, Ecuador.
The 300-square metre (3,230-square foot) house, known as La Miradora, sits in Ecuador’s central highlands in the páramo ecosystem at 3,400 metres above sea level.
Taller General has completed a house in Ecuador
Located on the highest point of an elongated plot, the 2024 design looks out on a large ravine, meadows and volcanoes.
“La Miradora is a house that emerges among volcanoes,” Quito-based Taller General told Dezeen. “We seek to observe the surrounding landscape from every room.”
It blends a gable roof with an A-frame structure
The rectangular house blends a gable roof and an A-frame structure with longitudinal walls that splay out, supported by 10 large wooden ribs. Set on a 2.5-metre module, the ribs create long porticos under the overhanging eaves.
“The porticos are composed of four pieces with different inclinations that converge upward to provide greater shelter on the upper floor,” the studio explained.
A vertical tower contains the uppermost level
On the north side, the portico rests on a brick base that negotiates the slope of the land to create a partially embedded lower floor.
On the south side, the ribs transition to metal and dig into the ground away from the exterior wall, allowing for a long ramp to run alongside the house.
The main residence sits on the second floor
The ground level of the house contains a single-car garage, wet areas and two sleeping spaces that look out through a wall of windows on the west side. These lower rooms can be opened for guests.
The second level serves as the main residence with an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area and a private suite that is divided by a heavy brick wall.
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“Since most of the house is on the upper floor, a ramp provides direct outdoor access, allowing you to walk around and enjoy the view,” the studio said. “Located on one side of the house, this covered outdoor walkway creates a smooth transition between the interior and exterior.”
The uppermost level breaks the angled outline of the house with a vertical tower. Accessed by a black metal, spiral stair, the loft area directs attention to the north with a wider view.
The sloped roof is made of an exposed wooden structure
The sloped roof is a sandwich of exposed wood – an interior ceiling that carries over the black window frames to the soffit – and square red tiles that continue the appearance of the brick to the top of the house.
Selected to respond to local climate and contexts, the home’s material palette consists of raw materials – metal, wood, ceramics and masonry – relying on detailed craft.
Wooden structural ribs help the house settle on a slanted site
“Materials are used in such a way that they do not require additional finishing, thereby reducing construction waste,” the studio said, also noting the use of solar panels and a water purification system. “The proposal responds to what we believe responsible architecture should be.”
Recently, Taller General teamed up with ERDC Arquitectos to create a vaulted brick “bread oven” house in Quito. Nearby in Machachi, Diez + Muller settled a concrete house in the Andean landscape.
The photography is by JAG Studio.
Project credits:
Architect: Taller General
Collaborators: Santiago Leon, Cerrotecec, Las Manos Sucias
Structural calculation: Miguel Morales
Construction manager: Taller General