white interconnected volumes with slanted walls compose weekend house in ecuador

j2ibstudio has designed a weekend family home, located on the outskirts of the city of quito, in ecuador. aiming to provide a variety of functional and comfortable spaces, the project consists of two interconnected volumes, forming an L-shaped building with wide-open areas. 

all images courtesy of j2ibstudio

one of the main volumes created by j2ibstudio houses the family/game room, while the second one serves as a a lounge-dining area, with an integrated kitchen. the project is completed with additional necessary spaces such as bathrooms and storage, wrapped around a big green patio area that functions as a garden for the main house.

strategically adapting to the terrain, the residence mimics the natural landscape. the visual pattern is a determinant factor on the placement of the building, thus the volumes are positioned to frame the view as well as possible. also, the placement corresponds to an east-west axis line in order to take in as much natural light as possible.

although from certain spots on the surrounding land, the project practically disappears, the architectural volume is 4 m tall, generating large areas – 8 m wide and 20 m long. because of this, a constructive strategy had to be planned in order to avoid the placement of columns within the interior, that might have divided the open space or interfere with the views. 

the height of the building was created as a way of dealing with the specific microclimate of the area, which tends to be quite hot. the placement of the openings in the volumes was chosen strategically to create cross ventilation within the dwelling, especially in the lounge-dining area. the project proposes slanted walls on the ends of the architectural volumes, as an essential element of the aesthetic which corresponds to the idea of conjuring mountain shapes near the selected plot. 

the project is thought in such a way that the articulation of the spaces does not interfere with the view from the site, which is why the architectural volumes are plain white with pronounced edges and some walls made of exposed concrete to contrast the white. the interior design also follows this program with plain white walls and ceiling that contrasts with grey flooring. it is worth mentioning that the spaces created can also function as a place for events reception since the project presents open areas as well as staff areas for that complimentary use of the space.

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: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom