In Puembo, on the outskirts of Quito, where for some years now the historical traces of a semi-rural culture have been gradually erased by the capital's building development, nicolás&nicolás studio has designed a home for a family that pays homage to the site's past and to the identity of its owners.

The project intertwines material and typological elements from Andean tradition with contemporary design and portrays the symbolism of a cohesive and unifying dwelling environment, emphasising the role of family role as a binding core for society.

And in fact the dwelling, designed for a two-member family while waiting for the third member, is deeply linked to the owners' history through a shared design process, that involved several relatives at various stages, and from which the current design emerged.

The construction is characterised by the aggregation of essential volumes, linked by a system of patios and planted terraces. From the access driveway to the north, a translucent atrium on the ground floor divides the building into two blocks: to the west, the volume housing the first bedroom, and to the east, the main volume comprising the living area with dining area, kitchen and bathrooms, overlooking the rear garden to the south. In the living room, a double-height void visually connects the ground floor with the upper level, crossed by light metal walkways leading to the two additional bedrooms and the study. 

It is a volumetric composition that expresses a lively interplay of contrasts between vernacular and contemporary feels, providing an allegory of the genesis of the new family and their home: massive concrete blocks interrupted by large windows on the ground floor interact with the three turrets on the upper floor which, clad in fired clay bricks and handmade recycled tiles of local origin (in memory of the ancient kilns in the area), stand as the individual expressions of the uniqueness of each member of the family.
A continuous, cantilevered, ultra-lightweight white perimeter ring, acting as both a solar and visual screen, frames and “embraces” the building in a strong and affectionate hold. 

Inside, the lexicon of contrasts is articulated amid the polished concrete floors, the reinforced concrete structures on the ground floor and steel structures on the upper floor on the one hand, and the full-body texture of the exposed masonry walls on the other, that lend warmth to the environment.