Architecture firm ZITA has used blackened wood and prefabricated structural elements to create a cabin in the Colombian highlands that was built entirely by hand.
The project, called House in the Andean Moorland, is located on a verdant, hilly site that sits 3,250 metres above sea level. The area features a "cloud landscape" that alters one's depth of view, and constantly hides and reveals the surrounding mountain peaks.
House on the Andean Mooreland is nestled into a Colombian hillside
Designed by Bogotá-based ZITA ? or Zona Industrial Taller de Arquitectura ? the dwelling was built following three years of research carried out with professor Cristina Albornoz. The project is intended to demonstrate how to create an environmentally sensitive home "within this fragile ecosystem," the team said. The client is a couple with two children. Both of the parents are environmental economists, and they purchased the property because it is part of a nature preserve that they intend to care for and expand. They use the house as a weekend retreat.
Stilts lift the dwelling off the ground
"The father was a devoted scout in his youth and sees the place as an opportunity to teach his kids about nature," said architect Daniel Felman, founder of ZITA.
"The small portion where we built the house had been cut down decades ago by the previous owner, who lived off growing potatoes," he added.
The house is used as a weekend retreat
The new dwelling was con...