Project: TC House
Architects: Arqcor Proyectos Arquitectura
Location: Cuenca, Ecuador
Area: 4.176 sf
Year: 2022
Photographs by: Nicolás Provoste C
TC House by Arqcor Proyectos Arquitectura
The Challuabamba house, located on the outskirts of Cuenca, unfolds on a single level in an “L” shape, integrating interior and exterior spaces with an introspective front and expansive windows at the back. Inspired by classic modernist design, the structure plays with volumes and flat roofs, creating a dynamic aesthetic. The predominant material, traditional Cuenca brick, complements the metal structure and natural wood, producing a warm and cold contrast.
The house is located on the outskirts of the city of Cuenca, in the valley known as Challuabamba. The location and development of the house are faithful to the topography of the land, unfolding on a single level in an “L” shape without level changes, integrating its interior and exterior social areas while taking advantage of the best views towards the surrounding mountains.
From a functional aspect, the house was conceived under an introspective criterion, where its front facade is austere in a play of volumes and planes without windows; and, on the contrary, its back facade opens towards the private back garden through large windows that fill its volumes, allowing the integration of interior and exterior spaces, taking advantage of the extensive green area of the land, while maintaining privacy for its users. From an aesthetic aspect, it is inspired by classic modernist houses from the 50s, where simple planes and volumes prevail while its structure is evident as part of the formal aspect of the house. The play of flat roofs, at different heights, dynamizes its facades and creates a sort of additional half-height in the social area, allowing indirect natural light to enter, while enjoying the views of the surrounding landscape at all times.
Finally, the predominant materiality of the project is the traditional brick of the city of Cuenca, being a material crafted by local workers, the format of the brick could be chosen; which, being slimmer than usual, emphasizes the proportion of the volumes and planes used in this house. The color of the brick mixed with the black color of the metal structure and the natural wood create a contrast effect between warm and cold that emphasizes the function of the home.
