parasitic house is a tiny 12 sqm dwelling by el sindicato in ecuador

perched on the rooftop of an existing building within the san juan neighborhood of quito in ecuador, el sindicato arquitectura has built ‘parasitic house’ (casa parásito) – a compact dwelling measuring just 12 sqm. the project is inspired by a quote from former uruguayan politician, josé mujica, who said: ‘poor is not who owns little, but who needs a lot’. with this ethos in mind, the tiny structure provides only the basic living functions for an individual or couple.

image © andres.v.fotografia

designed by el sindicato to optimize the reduced area, the program includes a bathroom, kitchen, bed, storage and a flexible space for eating, working and socializing. constructed using a timber A-frame, the rectangular core of the house has been conceived for ‘standing’ activities such as cooking. adjacent to this core, the smaller triangles and rhomboids provide places for storage and sleeping, while also giving additional stability to the overall structure.

image © andres.v.fotografia

the interior of the house is characterized by the OSB panels that have been utilized as a minimal finish. the north-facing façade is composed of a large window, bringing in natural light and offering views over the city. to the south façade, however, frosted glass has been implemented to provide privacy from neighbors. the remaining elevations are clad in steel panels in an effort to avoid direct sunlight from the east and west.

image © andres.v.fotografia

the house is made up of 3 modules created by 4 structural frames. considering the timber structure and substructure for fixing the steel panels of cladding, the architects created a 12cm insulation void, which is filled with coconut fiber as insulating material. steel foundations are employed to attach the building to the slab of the existing roof.

image © andres.v.fotografia

although it is possible to build the project in urban or rural plots without existing constructions, the architects imagine the intervention to ideally occur on underused rooftops in urban environments that are structurally sound. buildings where one can connect to the existing water, waste and electrical grids. in this way, the house contributes to the densification of the city on only a very small scale, with a minimum of economic investment and use of resources, as well as contributing to the conservation of the architectural heritage.

image © el sindicato arquitectura

image © pablo olalla

image © andres.v.fotografia

image © carlos valarezo

image © el sindicato arquitectura

project info:

project name: ‘casa parásito’ (parasitic house)

location: san juan, quito, ecuador

architecture firm: el sindicato arquitectura

authors: nicolás viteri, maría mercedes reinoso, xavier duque

completion year: 2019

built area: 12 sqm

photography: andrés villota

illustrations: carlos valarezo & el sindicato arquitectura

translation: jhower sánchez

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: lynne myers | designboom