Casa Xecua by Yemail Arquitectura

Casa Xecua in Guasca, Colombia, was designed in 2022 by Yemail Arquitectura. The wooden cabin features an orthogonal volume oriented toward distant views, with living spaces extending over an outdoor deck. Constructed with tecumani pine and annealed clay roof tiles, the cabin reflects a primitive aesthetic and houses bedrooms that end in boxes for privacy.

A distinctive wooden cabin elevated on stilts, with a covered porch and large windows against a cloudy sky.

Wooden Cabin Overlooks Colombia’s Cota Valley

Casa Xecua stands on the edge of a hill overlooking the valley of Cota, Colombia, as an homage to a 2007 structure created in Sisga.

Yemail Arquitectura founder Lucas Yemail drew from the first structure built by his studio, which was made from selvages discarded by sawyers after cutting down a pine forest.

“Casa Xecua is the heir of a reflexive trajectory that began in 2007 with the founding project of the Yemail Arquitectura office,” Yemail said.

Spacious open-plan interior with exposed wooden beams, brick walls, and cozy seating.

Casa Xecua’s Construction Was Challenging

Built at an altitude of 2,566 metres (8,418 feet), the cabin’s terrain required particular attention due to its undulating nature.

Casa Xecua is made up of an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, as well as a master and secondary bedroom contained within separate volumes.

“The spaces are concentrated in a molded bar with actions that define the interior comfort and the relationship with the immediate ground,” the studio said.

Rustic cabin with wooden beams, exposed brick, and open kitchen and dining area.

Yemail Arquitectura took advantage of the property’s western-facing expansive views when conceptualising the cabin’s design.

In order to provide wind protection, the home is situated perpendicular to a forested area.

“The undulation of the terrain dictates that the utmost care is taken to build on stilts,” the studio said.

The single sloping volume was topped with a poly-angle roof intended to give a nod to more traditional homes.

A rustic wooden cabin with expansive windows, showcasing a scenic mountain landscape.
Yemail Arquitectura complemented the structure’s wooden exterior with materials like exposed brick, which the firm used to form an internal brick chimney.

Slatted, wooden closet volumes were also integrated on either side of the structure in the bedrooms.

This serves to provide a layer of privacy for cabin residents while also protecting more sensitive housing items.

A linear path was also carved out of the structure, allowing residents to transition through a semi-open corridor and courtyard that leads straight into the master bedroom.

Materials used throughout the interior included a contrast of exposed decorative wooden ceiling beams and white painted walls.

Cozy cabin bedroom with wood-paneled walls, beamed ceiling, and a scenic window view.
“The cabin is a kind of reverence for the natural world and, from there, for the materials of the built world,” the studio said.

At the west end of the kitchen, a large, wooden deck extends outward as the topography continues steadily downward.

The structure’s gabled end results in a cathedral-like ceiling in the living area, where the firm used an exposed brick cylinder to highlight the entry to the cabin.

“The gabled volume with eaves at the ends is redefined by the anomaly of a double-height cylinder in exposed brick that gravitates with another weight and gives root to the lightness of the wooden box,” the studio said.

Rustic log cabin with stone chimney, raised deck, and slanted roof against cloudy sky.

Retaining walls lift up the structure’s orthogonal volume, allowing it to appear as though it is floating despite its perched, deepened roots.

Timber elements were sheathed in a circular window filled with an acrylic sheet, allowing light to pass through the wooden facade without fully exposing residents to the surrounding landscape.

A rustic wooden cabin nestled in a lush, verdant landscape with a balcony and mountain views.

Yemail Arquitectura Specialises in Modular Architecture

Yemail Arquitectura is known for its work in modular architecture.

In addition to Casa Xecua, the studio recently created a modular “wooden cabin plus multipurpose container”.

A rustic wooden cabin nestled in a lush, hilly landscape with a wraparound deck.
A spacious wooden cabin on stilts with an open balcony and large windows, illuminated at night.
A rustic wooden cabin perched atop stilts, with large windows and a sloping roof.
A rustic wooden cabin elevated on stilts, featuring a pitched roof and illuminated windows.

Photography courtesy of Yemail Arquitectura
Visit Yemail Arquitectura

- by Matt Watts

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