Riba House by TEC Taller EC
Riba House sits in Puembo, Ecuador, a two-level house by TEC Taller EC that takes its cue from a venerable carob tree at the site’s center. The bar-shaped plan wraps the tree to frame views toward Quito and the Andes, then loosens into a terrace that stretches the daily routine toward the horizon. Urban edge meets valley quiet here, and the plan mediates both with poise.
Late afternoon light filters through a rhythmic facade, tracing slim shadows across a courtyard floor. The house bends along a curved corner, holding a carob tree at its heart while catching a long view toward Quito.
This is a two-level house in Puembo by TEC Taller EC, organized as a bar around a central courtyard and a commanding tree. Orientation guides every move, from the city-facing apertures to a terrace that meets the mountain landscape. The throughline is site-first: built volumes frame nature, and daily life pivots around a living anchor.
Hold the Tree
The plan arcs to embrace the carob tree, turning the courtyard into a calm core that gathers rooms and routines. Each room keeps a direct line to the trunk and canopy, so morning light and shade read like a clock across the day. That inward focus tempers the corner lot, giving privacy without retreat.
Open to Horizon
Public rooms sit at ground level, porous to the street yet anchored by the courtyard’s hush. Above, private rooms face the mountain range, and a terrace extends the upper level into air with a clean, horizontal step that sets up long, unbroken views. Everyday rituals slide outdoors here, and the roofline quietly tracks the Andes.
Light the Edge
A light, permeable facade expresses the curve with vertical elements that read as fins, casting measured shadows and tightening the bar’s unity. The cadence does more than decorate: it filters glare, cools the interiors, and aligns sightlines toward the valley without blank walls. At dusk, the facade turns lantern-soft, yet the courtyard stays composed.
Mark the Threshold
A large, deliberate void signals the entry, cut into the volume as a pause in the rhythm. The gap frames sky and branch before any door, setting a contemplative tone that continues inside with the courtyard’s stillness and the tree’s rough bark near at hand. Movement stays clear and unhurried from there.
Bar and Two Levels
The house runs 520 m² (5,597 sq ft) across two levels, a straightforward arrangement that keeps circulation efficient and views intact. Downstairs gathers living, dining, and kitchen around the courtyard, while upstairs the bedrooms hold the quiet edge and borrow the terrace for air and distance. The result compresses where needed, then opens just when the valley calls.
Evening returns to the courtyard with cool air and long shade. The facade’s rhythm softens, the terrace holds the last light, and the carob tree settles into silhouette—an everyday measure of place and purpose.
Photography courtesy of TEC Taller EC
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