Project: High Plain House
Architects: Andres Argudo
Location: Ecuador
Area: 2,637 sf
Photographs by: JAG Studio
Everybody appreciates a good mountain home, but often, the image of a mountain house is something similar to a rustic cabin built from large wooden logs and stones. Well, that is not the case with the High Plain House in Ecuador. Designed by architect Andres Argudo, this stunning mountain home is designed as a modern dwelling where the main goal is to frame as much of the beautiful nature as possible. It is wrapped in large windows, making sure natural light is not lacking inside, but also providing endless view of the surrounding pine forests.
The high plains? When we visit the place, the visual impact of the landscape is what’s going to make the strongest impression in the development of the project, a landscape of mountains, a lake and a secluded forest of pines. We can add a house made of adobe in the middle of the place, already previously reconstructed for the rest of its owner; these are the two main aspects to take into account in the evolution of this venture.
As we previously mentioned, and following the line of our client, one of the top priorities is to maintain the adobe base material with which the house was made, transforming it in a welcoming space for guests. And to this, we expect to integrate a resting place for families during the weekend.
From this, we start out with the functional scheme of a household. From a new place of rest with three comfortable bedrooms we’d turn it into a cozy suite-type home that excels from the typical home, using the landscape at its best.
How to generate an architectonic solution that mixes up together the old construction with a brand new modern structure, without having the adobe house lose its prime focus? This is where the idea of building the next step in a lower level comes from. Besides this, we consider the lot’s topographic, leaving its surface empty for it to turn into a terrace, this will become part of an old-fashioned social area that’s in no way going to diminish the landscape.
To successfully achieve what’s planned, we are aiming at having the new construction as open as it can be, having the vast majority of the facade made of glass, taking full advantage of the landscape. Nevertheless, it was of the utmost importance to take into account that, because of the location of the project, camera glasses and floor with its own heating system to preserve the warmth on the inside of the house.
–Andres Argudo
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