jorge ramón giacometti renovates 'avocados house' in ecuador with new glazed façade

architect jorge ramón giacometti has renovated a residence on the outskirts of quito, ecuador’s capital city. called ‘avocados house’, or ‘casa de los aguacates’, the two-storey dwelling — photographed here by JAG studio — contains living accommodation on its ground floor with three bedrooms on the upper level. the architect’s main intention was to add a glazed façade to the existing structure, which would offer views of the adjacent patio.

all images by JAG studio

in order to do this, jorge ramón giacometti and his team had to reinforce the remainder of the building. on the ground floor, structural redwood frames have been anchored to both their concrete bases and the existing eucalyptus pillars. these new ‘structural boxes’ are attached to the glazed façade, providing plentiful day light while ensuring ventilation and a visual connection with the outside world.

the new façade presents views of the patio, including its avocado and other fruit trees, from every area of the house. the architects also reorganized the ground floor, linking the previously separate spaces, and repaired other areas of the house using handcrafted techniques and locally sourced materials. other recently featured projects in ecuador include a gym in the city of babahoyo and an earthquake resistant hospital.

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project info:

name: avocados house / casa de los aguacates
location: puembo, ecuador
built area: 300 sqm / 3,229 sqf
architecture studio: jorge ramón giacometti architecture workshop
architect in charge: jorge ramón giacometti
design team: daniel hegen (ger), francisco trigueros (esp)
engineering: patricio cevallos (ecu)
photography: JAG studio