This project reimagines Malena’s craft store as an affordable, small-scale shop and café located next to her home after reopening post-pandemic. Designed as a single flexible space with a pergola-covered porch, it uses local materials such as exposed brick, timber, recycled glass bottles, and esteras to reduce costs. A translucent façade and central pivot door connect the interior with the surrounding landscape, creating fluid circulation and a strong relationship with nature.
2022
Challuabamba, Ecuador
35 m2
This project was for Malena, a lady who had her own craft store for more than 40 years until she decided to close due the pandemic. After one year she decided to re-open her store next to her house to continue working in her passion. The construction required two main features: to be affordable and to have a small space for a coffee/restaurant. The idea was to create a single space with a front porche with its own pergola to locate the tables and a small bathroom next to it. And to make it affordable we decided to use local materials like exposed bricks, timber windows frames, glass bottles and esteras in the ceiling. For instance the shop is framed with a local brick bench designed with different patterns that exposes the "Andes" traditional character. The front facade is completely translucent, connecting the shop with the beautiful nature that surrounds the building. A way to enhance this transition was to create a middle axis pivot-door, that generates both an entrance and exit, creating a smooth circulation.
This project reimagines Malena’s craft store as an affordable, small-scale shop and café located next to her home after reopening post-pandemic. Designed as a single flexible space with a pergola-covered porch, it uses local materials such as exposed brick, timber, recycled glass bottles, and esteras to reduce costs. A translucent façade and central pivot door connect the interior with the surrounding landscape, creating fluid circulation and a strong relationship with nature.
2022
Challuabamba, Ecuador
35 m2
This project was for Malena, a lady who had her own craft store for more than 40 years until she decided to close due the pandemic. After one year she decided to re-open her store next to her house to continue working in her passion. The construction required two main features: to be affordable and to have a small space for a coffee/restaurant. The idea was to create a single space with a front porche with its own pergola to locate the tables and a small bathroom next to it. And to make it affordable we decided to use local materials like exposed bricks, timber windows frames, glass bottles and esteras in the ceiling. For instance the shop is framed with a local brick bench designed with different patterns that exposes the "Andes" traditional character. The front facade is completely translucent, connecting the shop with the beautiful nature that surrounds the building. A way to enhance this transition was to create a middle axis pivot-door, that generates both an entrance and exit, creating a smooth circulation.
This project reimagines Malena’s craft store as an affordable, small-scale shop and café located next to her home after reopening post-pandemic. Designed as a single flexible space with a pergola-covered porch, it uses local materials such as exposed brick, timber, recycled glass bottles, and esteras to reduce costs. A translucent façade and central pivot door connect the interior with the surrounding landscape, creating fluid circulation and a strong relationship with nature.
2022
Challuabamba, Ecuador
35 m2
This project was for Malena, a lady who had her own craft store for more than 40 years until she decided to close due the pandemic. After one year she decided to re-open her store next to her house to continue working in her passion. The construction required two main features: to be affordable and to have a small space for a coffee/restaurant. The idea was to create a single space with a front porche with its own pergola to locate the tables and a small bathroom next to it. And to make it affordable we decided to use local materials like exposed bricks, timber windows frames, glass bottles and esteras in the ceiling. For instance the shop is framed with a local brick bench designed with different patterns that exposes the "Andes" traditional character. The front facade is completely translucent, connecting the shop with the beautiful nature that surrounds the building. A way to enhance this transition was to create a middle axis pivot-door, that generates both an entrance and exit, creating a smooth circulation.
