In a clearing at the plateau of a steep hillside in the Ecuadorian Andes, Casa 29 is stretched out across the landscape, its low, horizontal form backdropped by thick pine forest.  Looking out over the dramatic slope, incredible mountains rise in the distance above the city of Cience.  Taking its place on the route to the sacred Guagualzhumi mountain, this family home by architects estudio29 responds to the topography with a cantilevered design, which reduced the need for intense work on the ground, while directing attention towards those magical horizon views.

The home was created for a family of five, with the main living spaces and primary bedroom on the ground floor. Upstairs, children’s bedrooms are connected by a bridge-like corridor that crosses a series of double-height spaces and voids, creating playful visual connections between the two floors. 

The material palette splits the two levels, giving each its own character. Polished concrete creates a calm, continuous base anchored to the hillside, while the upper story’s brick, arranged in decorative patterns, gives a sense of permeability with openings allowing sunlight and shadow. Inside, teak ceilings and rendered walls washed in a neutral shade of white reference the texture of the heavily wooded surroundings while keeping an overall aesthetic of luxe simplicity that allows the surrounding views to remain the main event. 

Photography © JAG Studio