Ecuador. A glass and concrete house grows among the trees

When designing in a natural context, the integration of the building with the landscape is not an option but an imperative. The house designed by Gabriel Rivera Arquitectos a few kilometres from Quito adapts with sensitivity to the environment of the Cumbayá Valley and its topography. The project maintains all the Algarrobo trees present in the site and plunges into the existing vegetation.

Large glass walls are used to delimit living spaces without losing direct contact with nature. The utility areas are instead enclosed by opaque surfaces covered with wood that help to generate a warm and welcoming environment.

Distributed across three levels, the residence is formed by interconnected blocks that surround a central courtyard. The living area overlooks the entrance and connects the private garden with the view of the valley; a second block perpendicular to the first contain service spaces and bedrooms, while the third part features an independent space, which can be used as a study or guest room.

Gabriel Rivera tells the poetics of the project: “Tacuri House respects the natural environment of its lot and draws inspiration from the surrounding Algarrobo trees; giving place to the architectural concept: ‘living amongst the trees’. It is a project that invites you to live an experience – the experience of architecture.”