Like in an oven: an unusual shaped house in Ecuador
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20 Feb 2023
Architects from ERDC Arquitectos and Taller General have built a house in Quito that resembles a crucible — vaulted furnace of a bread oven
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JAG Studio
A brick and glass house with an arched roof and a mezzanine has grown up in the Ecuadorian town of Quito. The house has an area of 60 sq. m. the architects called the meters Horno de Pan (Spanish for "bread oven") — for its vaulted silhouette. The ends are completely glazed, and at night with the lights on, the building looks like a large lantern flickering in the dark.
Photo
JAG Studio
Photo
JAG Studio
Architects Fernanda Esquetini, Pablo Puente from ERDC Arquitectos and Martin Real and Florencia Sobrero from Taller General came up with this form of building not only for aesthetic reasons: the city is located in a seismic zone, and the structure must withstand possible shocks.
Photo
JAG Studio
The architects used local brick because of its accessibility, thermal properties and design flexibility. "Since the house is located in a seismic zone, the vault is reinforced with a layer of concrete three centimeters thick, this made it possible to obtain a light coating with a large surface area," the authors said. This type of construction reduced the amount of concrete and steel in the project, gave the house color and texture, bricks were used as a finishing material outside and inside.
Photo
JAG Studio
Photo
JAG Studio
Inside, the space is divided into three levels. On the lowest floor there is a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. Half a flight up the stairs there is an entrance to the building and a bathroom, and another half a flight up there is a bedroom and a studio in an open mezzanine.
Photo
JAG Studio
Photo
JAG Studio
Photo
JAG Studio
The main materials in the decoration are concrete and wood: the finishing floor of the bathroom turns into the surface of the worktop, and the wooden stand near the bathroom turns into a shelf in the kitchen.
Photo
JAG Studio
End glazing allows light to freely pass into all parts of the house, and a wall of glass blocks provides privacy in the bathroom. The built-in gates swing open during the day, revealing a view of the hillside, and are closed at night for the safety of the owners.
A large utility room adjoins the main building, and it can be easily expanded or built on if desired.
Photo
JAG Studio
