Casa S

Quito, Ecuador

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Casa S

Quito, Ecuador

Firm

#1028 Arquitectura y Paisaje

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2022

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

Homes are more than just a primal symbol of human need; they are deeply entwined with memories and desires. We nostalgically recall our childhood homes and dream of the homes we wish to create for our future selves. When building our adult homes, which elements do we choose to recreate from our childhood homes and the places that have inspired us, and which aspirational elements do we incorporate?

This project is particularly special, as a childhood friend asked us to design his first home. As we approached our mid-twenties, this project held profound symbolic significance. It represents an aspiration, a framework for who we want to become and how we want others to perceive us, while maintaining the playful nostalgia of our childhood and teenage years.

The client's only requirement for the design was that the house be triangular, reminiscent of an off-grid chalet. This presented a unique challenge: a triangular house, with its sloped walls, offers limited usable space for a person of his stature (1.96m). The design had to resolve this issue. The solution was to design the vertical section of the house as two triangles offset horizontally. This displacement creates more usable area without sacrificing the triangular form, enriching the interior with visual and spatial depth.

We named this project Casa S, symbolizing a return to origins, to the primal hut—a triangle. An A-frame structure, where the roof becomes the walls and the walls become the roof. From the outside, the house's materiality and construction prioritize spatial qualities over expensive materials. We chose industrialized materials, such as prefab black metal panels for the façade, assembled on-site, evoking industrial architecture. Inside, we prioritized raw materials with minimal finish interventions.

The house emphasizes open spaces. From the entrance, you are welcomed into a space for coats and shoes, leading seamlessly into a threshold that opens up all the main areas. The kitchen, dining room, sunken living room, and exterior pit form one continuous space, while the master bedroom is located on the lower floor. On the second floor, a bridge connects to the second bedroom and studio area, overlooking all the social spaces. The house is an object embedded in the greenery; a quality felt throughout every space.

For the final representation of the project, we invited three photographers, each with a distinctive style, to capture their vision of the house. Our goal was to portray how the house is inhabited through different everyday scenarios. One photographer focused on a traditional architectural style, emphasizing the true nature of the spaces and design features. Another took an editorial approach, showcasing the fun and aesthetic character of the house. The third photographer aimed to capture the nostalgic and emotional essence of the project.

Casa S was envisioned as a house to work, to party, to rest, to host, to break up, and to settle down. A house for friends, family, partners, and pets. We envisioned the house as a framework for these transitional periods and significant moments. A symbol of friendship. A symbol of the transition to adulthood.