CAVI – House in Villa de Leyva by AGRA Arquitectos

Architect: AGRA Arquitectos

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Location: Vila de Leyva, Boyacá, Colombia

Completion year: Desing: 2015 – 2016, Construction: 2017

Area: 280m2

Photographs: AGRA Arquictos

This is an exterior look at the house with terracotta roof, beige walls and complemented by the surrounding landscape that has trees, grass and a pond.

This is a close look at the exterior of the house that showcases the terracotta roof tiles supported by the wooden columns.

This is a close look at the main entrance of the house with a large dark wooden main door that contrasts the white walls.

This is a side of the house that showcases the covered area on the side of the exterior walls with terracotta clay tiles on the roofs thata re supported by the wooden columns.

This is a closer look at the shaded walkway on the side of the house with a cover that has a wooden beamed ceiling.

Upon entry of the house, you are welcomed by this warm foyer that has a pair of large main doors that opens to the staircase and terracotta flooring tiles.

The kitchen has a couple of kitchen islands. One has a butcher block countertop and the other has a marble countertop topped with a cathedral wooden beamed ceiling.

This is a close look at the arched wooden main door and a wrought iron chandelier.

This is a map view of the illustration of the house with the location marked in the area.

This is an illustration view of the first level floor plan.

This is an illustration view of the second level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the longitudinal cross section of the house.

This is an illustration of the cross section of the house.

This is an illustration of the south elevation of the house.

This is an illustration of the north elevation of the house.

The project Casa Calderón is located in Villa de Leyva, a region not so far from Bogotá, with mild dry weather, a rich cultural heritage, and a beautiful landscape. The project addresses a careful, yet meaningful way to insert harmoniously into the landscape, through the reinterpretation of the traditional architectural type of the patio-house, but with a nonorthogonal but triangular geometrical “V” shape, oriented towards the Iguaque peak, sacred to the Muisca ancestors.

The design concept is inspired in the reinterpretation of the local building techniques and construction types, with the use of local materials, lending an austere, almost monastic character for its external image, and a light, intimate one in its interior patio: stone and timber for the floorings, whitewashed ceramic walls, timber roof structure and natural wood interior floors. Its interior space is disposed of by two wings adjacent to the main entrance: at the right side the social areas, integrating kitchen, dining and living room, with the fireplace at the center.

The external landscape is framed by the squared shaped windows, as the internal view of the patio is wide open, through sliding windows that allow integrating outside and inside realms, enjoying the mild dry weather, especially at day time. At the left, along the external corridor between the patio and the construction, the private family rooms, each one with its services, and with square-shaped windows towards the exterior gardens.

The central patio is the heart of the house: is the place that invites to remain all day long, enjoying the backstage landscape of the mountain chain and the Iguaque Peak, and the nearest view of the pond at the edge, and the surrounding gardens.

By Jon Dykstra · See their LinkedIn.