breakroom's roof is punctured by openings to maintain the existing trees

semi-open breakroom brings the team together

URLO studio and the architects juan ruiz and amelia tapia, built ‘breakroom in the orchard’, a semi-open space, inviting the working team to interact and rest. designed for an environmental consulting company in quito, ecuador, the main request was to maintain the existing vegetation — the client had planted — in the backyard of the offices, where the project was to be located.

to meet all of the client’s needs without removing the existing trees, the architects proposed the construction of a cantilevered sloping roof, punctured by semi-circular openings. the absence of walls generates an outdoor feeling, allowing the ‘breakroom’ harmoniously to blend into the garden, blurring the boundary between the structure and nature.

night view of the breakroom

all images courtesy of diego puente

the existing trees penetrate the roof through the openings

the original program called for storage spaces, a lunch preparation counter, and a barbecue area, as well as a flexible space that could occasionally serve for other uses such as training workshops, corporate events, and team-building sessions. along the main structural axis tangent to the perimeter wall of the property, they located all the necessary storage and workspaces. this way, the central space, and the perimeter were completely freed, favoring fluidity in space and flexibility of use. in order to incorporate the trees into the project, the studio proposed four semicircle openings along the cantilevered sloping roof allowing the branches of the trees to penetrate it, with a view overlooking the sky.

in the central part of the roof, the architects introduced two round skylights of different sizes that permit natural light to enter through a metal filter that simulates the shadows of tree leaves. the roof, composed solely of a metal sheet and covered with wooden panels on the underside, rests on a structure of four metal pillars raised on concrete footings. the single line of pillars supports the entire roof through tensors that sew the upper part of the pillars in order to generate greater permeability on the ground.

protects users from the equatorial sun and rain

a simple, functional, and coherent space

beams emerge from each pillar which, apart from their structural function, serve to modulate the space. they are complemented by a false beam sandwiched between every two structural beams, which house the electrical installations and support the lamps. in order to create a simple, functional, and coherent space with the environment, the architects decided to work mainly with two materials: brick and wood.

the brick allows the construction of vertical and horizontal parameters through the use of a single piece, while its reddish color creates a good combination with the brown of the earth. furthermore, the furniture and the ceiling were clad in a single format of chipboard with an elm finish, bringing warmth to the breakroom. finally, they used white paint for the structural metal, and a white countertop to highlight the previous materials and generate a spatial pattern that helps the user to have a simpler perception of the space.

main entrance to the breakroom

detail of the brick wall and cabinetry with elmwood finish

front view of the kitchen counter with brick backsplash

night view of the breakroom and skylight

night view of the kitchen counter and sink

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the skylight within the steel structure of the roof during construction

conceptual render of the breakroom

plan of the breakroom

cross-section of the breakroom

project info:

name: breakroom in the orchard
designer: URLO studio, juan ruiz, amelia tapia

location: quito, ecuador

area: 90 sqm

photography: diego puente

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edited by: christina petridou | designboom