One day, a project : Edificio Criba by RAMA estudio

RAMA_Cirba building_JAG Studio
Photography by JAG Studio

This time we’re heading for Ecuador, a country bordering Colombia which, as the name suggests, lies right on the equator (the line). Am I kicking open doors? Yes. Totally. But in my defence, I admit I’m struggling to introduce the geography of the project as South America is so foreign to me…for the moment !

The project is located in the city of Ambato (San Antonio district), a housing complex on three levels for a total area of 400m ². The price will remain a mystery (even after several research, is not Poirot who wants). Too bad, it would have been interesting to contextualize …

On the building side, the first thing that stands out is a nice wooden facade with an interesting aspect: rough and echoing the corten steel of the central staircase (we will come back to this later). The slabs of the facade seem to be orientable although the photos do not show any change in configuration.

Behind this veil of wood are the common areas: access to the dwellings and vertical circulation. The whole seems little treated, being satisfied with rough concrete. One could have imagined concrete or wooden furniture to come and live in these in-betweens which are, inevitably, a little sad.

Nevertheless, the little treated side of the circulation spaces is totally forgiven when we see the work on the staircase. It is minimalist, industrial and aged before its time, bringing a dose of undeniable charm. Big favorite.

It’s a bit heartbreaking to see that the railings and landing doors didn’t get the same attention…I guess the budget wasn’t that big.

On the inside, if you put aside the rather rough entrance (I’ve never been a big fan of entrances leading directly to the living room), the whole is doing pretty well. The shape of the land, in triangle, is not a gift. The patio system gives a little light to the kitchen and circulation. The bedrooms and day areas, excluding the kitchen, benefit from the facade.

The decoration is in the same style as the rest: industrial, alternating concrete, steel and wood with a certain taste !

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