Las Olas de Mar
Puerto Cayo, Ecuador
Type: Residential
Client: Private
Size: 250m2
Status: Concept
Las Olas del Mar reinterprets the beach lifestyle with a modern, romantic and eco-mindful design. The architecture takes an analogy from the sea, its movements, textures, and biodiversity represented in several of the tectonic components of the project. The waves and rhythms of the sea are reinterpreted in the curvature of the roofs. This formal expression also helps to acclimatize and illuminate the villas in a natural way. The texture of fish scales is represented in the form of customized terracotta tiles. The color and scale of the tiles are also reminiscent of the toquilla straw hats, thus relating the project conceptually with the artisanal and cultural potential of the area.
The spaces are set around a central courtyard with a small outdoor pool and garden that incorporates the native vegetation of the area into the heart of the villas. This central courtyard also divides the private and social areas as a central buffer generating the necessary privacy. A series of mobile shutters surround the perimeter of the villas, thus generating visual privacy, but giving access to lighting natural. This replicates the use of blinds in coastal vernacular architecture.
The project is designed using materials of low maintenance and impact, optimizing the construction process, and staying mindful to the intrinsic values and lifestyle of the client.
The result is a typology of luxury beach villas where all elements of both construction and use are thought out in a methodical way. The villas, when replicated, not only become part of the natural landscape but enhance the visuals of the area. This, in turn, increases the cultural and aesthetic value of the Ecuadorian coast.