Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

A Family’s Glass-Enclosed Cabin Hovers in a Pine Forest in Ecuador

A Family’s Glass-Enclosed Cabin Hovers in a Pine Forest in Ecuador

To turn a 700-square-foot home into a more permanent residence for a family of four, RAMA estudio attached a prefab glass-and-steel box that extends into the surrounding wilderness.

For an on-the-move Ecuadorian family, the pandemic was a catalyst for their decision to spend more time at their cabin in the outskirts of Quito. But if they were going to be there on a more regular basis, they’d need to expand on the home’s small floor plan to make it more compatible for day-to-day family life.



"They’d been staying in Ecuador for short, sporadic periods," says Carla Chávez, cofounder of architecture firm RAMA estudio. "Their house had a room with a full bathroom and a multifunctional space that included a ‘bedroom’ for their two daughters. After lockdown, they decided that their stays should be longer and that the space should better allow them to perform their daily activities."



The brief to expand called for a larger social area, as well as comfortable, individual bedrooms for the couple’s daughters-and it was essential that the home take advantage of surrounding views.

"The site is a quiet place near a small agricultural town in the highlands of the city of Quito," says Chávez. "The house is located on a hillside with a pine forest to the back and views out to a green, silent valley. In the afternoons, the mist covers the valley, and at night the sky reveals the stars."



What made the project challenging was a request by the family to start work immediately and complete the addition in no more than three months. To respond, RAMA utilized prefab technology. "We imagined an industrially prefabricated piece that blends well with the environment and subtly sits on the ground, attaching itself to the existing construction," says Chávez.

The resulting addition starts with a metal frame structure that was prefabricated off-site. As it juts out over a slope in the woods, floor-to-ceiling tempered glass on three sides provides the family with incredible views. Inside, an open space with a kitchen, lounge, and dining area are given definition with a single piece of bespoke timber joinery. On one side is the kitchen, and on the other is the living room with a storage unit and an integrated fireplace.



This new space is linked to the existing home via a semi-transparent timber screen that doubles as storage and offers privacy to the bedrooms. Five sliding timber panels run down the front of the unit and can be moved as needed to control visual access to various spaces.

The extension further blends into the site thanks to a lush green roof, and the glass invites the landscape into the interior. Inside, the timber furniture and flooring creates a cozy space, perfectly suited for family living.



Casa Mirador by RAMA Estudio



Casa Mirador by RAMA estudio



Floor Plan of Casa Mirador by RAMA estudio



Elevation of Casa Mirador by RAMA estudio

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×