el quinche house: felipe escudero sculpts concrete haven in ecuador

architect felipe escudero re-envisions the use of concrete in architecture, with his el quinche house in ecuador. surrounded by wilderness and overlooking a charming scenery of the valley, the project consists of a weekend-house that can be equally used as an event venue.

for climatic reasons, the wall’s outer surfaces display relatively random patterns

felipe escudero’s design is characterized by the visual quality of the concrete facades — both in and out. indeed, during construction, all walls were shaped while pouring concrete by hand — resulting in a variety of beautiful textures. in addition, for climatic purposes, the exterior facades were created in such a way that they display relatively random grid motifs.

 windows protect the house against strong winds present in the area, while allowing it to circulate in and out

the rest of the elements within the el quinche house were added based on the dimensions of the form-work panels, thus minimizing work on site and unnecessary costs. this results in a house with large windows and doors — giving the structure an appearance of being smaller than its real dimensions. finally, the position of the house allows it to receive direct sunlight during afternoons and collecting heat for the night.


elevation view of the el quinche house

during construction all walls were made while pouring concrete by hand, resulting in a variety of textures

the ceremonial entrance serves as a passageway between the exterior and the scenery that opens up in front

 interior lights are warm-colored, contrasting the coldness of concrete

making concrete beautiful and durable meant finishing could be minimized in all spaces — like the kitchen

in bathrooms, ceiling openings allow for sunlight to fill the room

all views were specifically chosen to frame the surroundings

lighting was inspired by medieval towns, thus indicating where things are without illuminating all of the space

repetitive patterns appeared along the wall’s inner surfaces

project info:

location: el quinche – ecuador
year: 2016
type: single family / week-end house
client: private
size: 70 sqm
construction: sebastián ordonez / felipe escudero

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom