Local studio ERDC Arquitectos has constructed a brick and glass house with an arched roof and mezzanine level in Quito, Ecuador.
Completed in 2022, the 60-square-metre house is called Horno de Pan ? which translates to brick oven ? for its vaulted form that is open on either end through glazed walls, which transform the house into a lamp at night.
The house resembles a lamp after dark
Architects Fernanda Esquetini and Pablo Puente of ERDC Arquitectos were inspired by "a close reading of the context, needs and resources."
The 584-square metre lot slopes down Auqui hill toward the capital city, and despite its rural character, maintains a visual relationship with the city.
It features a vaulted roof and overlooks Quito
The house is oriented toward Quito and "adapts itself to the uneven topography through a set of levels," the studio said. The designers used brick because of its local availability, thermal properties and structural flexibility. Wide, load-bearing brick walls provide a thermal mass and are topped by the lowered vault.
Inside, the simple form distributes space in three levels
"Because the project's location is a seismic zone, the vault is reinforced with a three-centimetre-thick concrete layer, obtaining a light cover with a large surface area," the studio said.
The construction system reduced the project's use of concrete and steel and provided colour and texture, serving as the finish material on both the exterior and interior.
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