Standing on a hillock in El Chaquiñán, Ecuador, at the top of a 30% slope sits the spacious and beautiful Las Peñas House envisioned by C3V Arquitectura. The large open spaces lend a psychological coolness to this airy structure.
The Las Peñas House makes use of extensive full wall window panels to better enjoy the plethora of scenic vistas surrounding the dwelling, while the street-side wall is given over to a privacy-giving opacity. There is the choice of picking between the generous open-air porch or the elaborately simple sunroom of the social areas to take in the hill formations in the distance.
The special metal ‘sandwich’ style construction allows electric wires, water pipes, and other service artifacts to be incorporated with no need for masonry work. This gives the house a greater natural air conditioning and heating capability. To keep things even greener, power is from 100% renewable solar energy and a water recycling system is also included.
