Hidden amongst the worn architectural backdrop of Paipa, Colombia, sit two cubic gems looking to reinvent the city’s approach to design and build.
all photos by llanofotografia
Situated in the urban area of the city, Camacho’s architectural blueprint for the two houses aims to capture the attention of locals by playing on the visuals of colour and scale. These cubic structures stand out like a sore thumb – but in the Colombian architecture of 2019, it’s a refreshing take on modern design which reinvigorates its surroundings. Camacho hasn’t just followed the flock, it’s leading the new wave of design. The homes are the shepherd of architectural inspirations in Paipa.
Through utilising wood and glass, the architecture has adapted to its surrounding environment to create a sustainable, eco-friendly, different by design project that promotes a better way of life for those living there.
The two cubic plots are designed with an importance on verticality, with more windows allowing floods of light to enter the homes and providing a higher standard of ventilation across the three floors. The exterior walls aren’t just there to blend in – a mosaic of blues and greens composed on the façade draws the attention of every passer-by, whilst circular detailing on the outer-ground floor only adds to the alternative aesthetic.
all photos by llanofotografia
This stark contrast of the large full-width windows against bold colours only adds to the appeal of the buildings. It doesn’t care that it’s different to the adjacent apartment blocks, because different is good. Different is dynamic, different is the future for Colombian architecture.
Alongside its pioneering designs for Paipa, Camacho advocates sustainability and eco-friendly methods to create its masterpieces. Lightweight metal frames were used to allow for a faster construction process with less ecological impact – eradicating the need to mix materials reduced the water consumption during the build by 70 per cent. All the wood used for the modules was sourced from certified organisations who promote responsible and sustainable production lines. It’s achieved a cleaner way of working and can help to blaze a trail in architectural techniques within Paipa.
Yet Camacho’s work on these cubic masterpieces isn’t just a one-off – take a look at its project page and you’ll see the architect’s ideology towards design and build. And now, Colombian architecture as a whole is taking influences from clean lines and box-like structures.
500km west of Paipa, the architectural blueprint of Rionegro has been turned upside down by locally-based Plan:b. Cubic design is at the very heart of this architectural structure, using an intelligent system of parallel concrete walls to create a deceptively deceiving detached home. From the outside, it gives the appearance of separate plots, yet the four rectangular and square ‘volumes’ are connected transversely. Surrounded by the verdant landscape, it’s a concrete marvel hidden within the forest.
In Colombia’s capital city too, local architect Guillermo Fisher has added cubic influences to his repertoire. A contemporary Latin American architecture style, with its mix of concrete and wood, Casa López in one of Bogotá’s residential districts uses a second-level concrete cantilevered rectangle and internal patio to offer a different by design home.
UnSUBURBIA says…
The vision and creativity of Camacho to undertake such an architectural project is not only inspiring, but also imperative to the future of design. This project exudes a different by design ethos, bringing a new shape and style to Paipa’s skyline whilst offering a refreshed mentality to how Colombia should tackle the idea of modernist architecture. The clean lines of the outer shell, the wood panel façade and huge windows to entice the light in are pioneering features when compared to town’s historic design blueprint – and long may this modernist movement continue.
