Dedicated to transforming lives through innovative, custom design solutions, the award-winning New York City-based architectural firm PJCArchitecture has created a micro-dwelling in Ecuador with rudimentary materials including concrete, glass, metal, and brick. A 700-square-foot weekend home in a rural region outside of Quito, Napoles House is a minimalist and environmentally responsive home.
Created by combining two brick masses through a glass and concrete bridge, the house was constructed by Make Estudio, PJCArchitecture’s design-build division in Ecuador. Located at the base of the Andes Mountains, the house is designed for an artistic-minded woman and her family.
The tiny house is built with locally-sourced materials and has a small footprint with a spacious living area. Numerous large windows keep the house open and airy, maintaining indoor temperatures through passive ventilation. The double-height space comprises a living room with a freestanding bronze fireplace, a dining room, and a kitchen neatly designed under the versatile loft, accessible via a steel ladder.
The custom-built floor-to-ceiling glass and metal doors provide ventilation, and plenty of natural light to pour in and merge the indoors with a vast expanse of the landscape. As aforementioned, it consists of two brick forms; the smaller structure features a bedroom with a glazed wall and a king-size bed. A spa-style bathroom next to the bedroom features a porous brick wall serving as a vertical garden on the exterior. A sizable vanity, a shower, and a toilet complete the bathroom. A patio is located between two structures, accessible via the glass-metal bridge.
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The larger structure has a living room bathed in natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a kitchen, and a dining area in an open-floor layout. The loft overhead can be used to provide extra lounging, as a remote workspace, or as a recreational space.
Using vernacular building techniques, the Napoles House relies on passive solar design to adjust to changing climatic temperatures. To that accord, the brick walls act as a thermal mass, releasing stored heat at night, while the doors and windows deliver cross ventilation throughout the house and the trees shade the large glass expanse.
