🏡 Architectural Overview: Renovating and Converting a Vernacular House into a Contemporary Space with Creative Touches
In a rural area near the city of Quito, the Cholán Nests House project, or La Cabina de la Curiosidad, underwent a distinctive architectural rehabilitation of a simple vernacular house that was originally a storage building and later evolved over time into a dwelling in need of improvement.
The project focused on restoring the original structure and enhancing the interior spaces, while preserving the rural character and using local materials that strengthen the connection between the design and the surrounding natural life.
🏗️ The Project’s Architectural Context
The house is located in the rural area of Perucho, and it is an example of traditional construction using construction blocks and thick walls that reflect climatic requirements and the character of the surrounding environment.
The house was originally built as a storage building, but it underwent unplanned residential uses that caused some patchwork and random additions, which called for a carefully considered architectural intervention to revive the place and design it as an integrated living space.
📐 Rehabilitation Objectives
- Restore the building’s original function and turn it into a home suitable for everyday life.
- Enhance privacy and living spaces.
- Rely on the use of sustainable local materials to achieve a balance between design and the environment.
- Develop natural light and ventilation to improve the quality of the interior environment.
🌿 Interior Design and Integration with the Environment
The building’s interior design focused on creating a warm environment using wood as a key element in the windows, ceilings, and furniture, giving a sense of comfort and warmth while maintaining continuity with the natural exterior side.
Exposed timber structures were used to provide a sense of transparency and organic connection with the surroundings, in addition to introducing natural lighting through carefully designed openings and small resting areas.
🧱 Building Materials and Techniques Used
- Clay blocks and traditional walls were carefully restored to preserve solidity and durability.
- Local wood was used in beams and floors to increase sustainability and reduce the environmental footprint.
- Modern restoration techniques were adopted to preserve the building’s original style while enhancing contemporary requirements.
🏙️ Urban and Environmental Dimensions
The project represents an important model in the field of rural urban planning, as it reflects how existing buildings can be rehabilitated in a way that preserves heritage and keeps pace with the demands of sustainable living.
Through a balanced intervention in the building structure, the design team managed to avoid demolishing the original building and reduce the consumption of new resources, which aligns with the concepts of green architecture and sustainability, and serves the development of rural communities according to a careful environmental vision.
🌍 Environmental and Functional Planning Axes
- Integrating the building with the surrounding natural landscape without making radical changes to the topography.
- Ensuring resource-efficiency, especially in the field of energy sustainability through natural ventilation and appropriate lighting.
- Creating a living environment that encourages social and family interaction within an integrated space.
📐 Architectural and Artistic Features
The project is characterized by employing contrasts between simplicity and complexity, between authenticity and modernity. The rehabilitation of the house, which began as a simple storage building and became a high-quality residential space, highlights wisdom in the use of traditional construction techniques while activating contemporary components.
The spatial functions inside the house are also organized to provide multiple levels of privacy and comfort, with attention to the user experience and circulation flow within the place.
🛠️ Core Architectural Design Elements
- Highlighting the exposed timber structure, which adds an aesthetic and functional dimension.
- Designing windows and openings to provide ventilation and natural light without losing protection.
- Organizing the interior spaces in a way that preserves the close relationship between people and the surrounding environment.
- Relying on a flexible construction system that allows future expansion or modification in line with the residents’ needs.
🔍 Innovation in Reuse and Construction Possibilities
One of the prominent aspects of the project is the skillful use of the reuse concept for the original materials and structural elements, which reduces waste and enhances sustainability.
This approach reflects growing modern trends in the construction sector that rely on BIM or Building Information Modeling techniques to manage projects efficiently. Although the technical details of this project do not specifically indicate the use of BIM, the architectural approach calls for similar results in terms of resource improvement.
🌳 Sustainable Techniques and Materials
- Restoring clay walls and block brick instead of full replacement.
- Using wood as a primary material that enhances thermal insulation.
- Designing the facades in a way that allows good insulation with the possibility of dynamic ventilation.
🧱 Facades and the Relationship with the Site
The house facades show a balance between traditional and modern, as the original construction materials were highlighted alongside modern architectural additions that emphasize the rural character with a contemporary touch.
The facades are not only a functional оболочка but are also a visual element that expresses the identity and spatial memory of the area, providing visual continuity between the interior and exterior.
📅 Conclusion: A Modern Model for the Rehabilitation of Rural Buildings
The Cholán Nests House project presents an architectural example that combines the preservation of local heritage with the needs of modern construction, while efficiently employing sustainability and restoration techniques.
This project confirms the importance of rethinking existing buildings in rural areas, and calls for adopting designs that strengthen the connection with nature and use local materials wisely, away from random expansion and demolition.
In light of global architectural transformations toward smart cities and urban infrastructure that is sustainable, this model remains evidence of the possibility of reconciling past and present in a way that harmonizes with the environmental and social requirements of the future.
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