La 1⁄2 Agua House In Tumbaco, Ecuador

La 1⁄2 Agua House is a lovely abode that is located in Tumbaco, Ecuador and was sketched out by María de los Ángeles Espinosa. It offers 2,690 square feet of living space and was put together using high quality materials such as brick for its walls, metal for its structure and wood for the roof. The roof flaunts Eucalyptus boards and Colorado beams, and it is actually an independent element of the design that rests lightly above the main structure.

The home features a single floor and was built on a series of concrete piles that elevate it and allow it to benefit from great views of its natural environment. The architects wanted to form a clear link between the indoor and outdoor spaces, which is why they implemented large windows that open onto a large porch. The patio is surrounded by beautiful avocado trees that can be admired in their entire splendor by the residents and their guests while socializing and relaxing.

From the architect:

“Simplicity of construction, clarity of tectonic means, and purity of material shall be the bearers of a new beauty”

 Mies Van Der Rohe

In an environment surrounded by nature, the house sits on one floor, elevated from the ground with concrete piles to not modify the original topography and to gain a better view.

We seek to create a close relationship between indoors and outdoors, through large windows that open onto a spacious veranda, which in turn is surrounded by a grove of avocado trees.

The height of one and half floors, and the idea of a single roof tilted back, generating a gesture of great openness towards the front, reinforce the relationship with the generous garden outside.

The roof sits lightly on the house becoming an independent element that practically floats on the structure.

The search for honesty in materiality, gives as a result pure materials without coatings. Brick masonry, exposed metal structure, and a wood roof with Colorado beams and Eucalyptus boards.

The interior layout is very clearly differentiated between a fully open social area and the family area.

Design And Construction: María de los Ángeles Espinosa
Project Area: 250.0 m2
Photographs: Sebastián Crespo