A shift in model.
The family that owns the land is currently focused on transitioning from an extractive model toward one of ecological conservation. Their vision involves adventure tourism, taking advantage of the towering volcanic rock walls for climbing. They’ve introduced camping areas, and now, lodgings.

Lodgings that carry the memory of a quarry.
All obsolete items left behind by the quarry have been repurposed and revalued, forming a dialogue between time and memory that defines this unique context. The character of the lodgings is inseparable from that of the quarry itself.

In this process of spatial remediation, materials come from three sources:
(1) The natural context – The massive stones placed on site are remnants and absences of what was once extracted over the years; they now serve as structural supports. Along the 50-meter-high, 400-meter-wide cliff wall, flat stones have been deposited — these were used for the sinks. Gravel and sand were reused in walkways and outdoor spaces.

(2) Recycled materials – Vibrating screens and old oil pipeline tubes now serve as structural elements. Metal parts, carved stones, rods, and timbers (such as staves and beams) were salvaged from old constructions in Baños. A thick roll of steel cable, a scoop, small digger teeth, and other machinery spare parts were also reused. These recycled elements embrace the new visitors, creating spaces with the spirit and soul of the quarry while harmonizing with the native vegetation.

(3) The volcano – New pine and colorado wood provide the spatial quality and comfort needed for the interior of the lodgings and the shared dining area. The structures are built using two large trusses prefabricated on the ground — simple to make and easy to lift. The overall experience is that of an observatory, one that looks directly out at the Tungurahua Volcano, enhancing its majesty and grounding the visitor deeply in the spirit of the place.

Text provided by the architects.

The objective is to propose a model of floating housing for Mr. Carlos, Mrs. Teresa, and their youngest son. A family that has been living on the river for over 30 years and uses the immediate ecosystem as their main resource.

Carlos repairs wooden boats, while Teresa prepares traditional food, which is sold to local communities. The housing they lived in presented a critical condition in its structure and provision of basic services, preventing them from carrying out their livelihood activities in a dignified and sustainable manner.

Processes and techniques. A survey is conducted of their current living spaces and an inventory is made of the existing furniture and their uses. Through interviews with Carlos and Teresa, the problems, needs, and possible solutions are further explored, with the aim of utilizing them.

La Balsanera proposes extending 2m on each side of the current platform (6mx7m) to enhance the productive environments of the inhabitants. The structure consists of modular frames every 2m built with local wood, forming a gable roof, creating storage spaces and sufficient height for the enhancement of natural ventilation and lighting through its wooden lattice boundaries.

The existing location of private and social spaces such as the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedrooms is preserved in the center, while two strips are added to the ends; one for service and two for productive purposes, where the boat workshop, dry toilet, laundry, toilet, and shower are located. The platform ends towards the river with a productive terrace where the possibility of extending the traditional food service, social gathering, and anchoring of tourist boats is generated.

Management and approach. The SAT (Sharjah Architectural Triennial) calls on architecture teams to develop an exhibition that values the importance of scarcity, reuse of resources, and the appreciation of ancestral techniques based on nature in the Global South, including the Natura Futura studio, which in collaboration with Juan Carlos Bamba decides to use the resources commonly used in ephemeral constructions and later discarded to design and build the first sustainable floating house in Babahoyo, Ecuador with the aim of recovering the tradition of inhabiting the river.

La Balsanera explores possible floating solutions that recover local artisanal techniques while enhancing the active and productive participation of occupants in vulnerable communities, where it is urgent to strengthen their resilience and sustainability to initiate the generation of public policies that allow, for the first time, traditional habitat on the river.

Text provided by the architects.

To take advantage of the excellent orientation of the house and maximize the entry of natural light, two patios have been created. The first ventilates the wet areas and brings light into the rooms; the second extends alongside the staircase from the roof to the basement, marking a clear entrance from the street and serving as an acoustic buffer against outside noise.

The project stands out for highlighting the heritage elements of the house, leaving visible traces of its history. By removing the lime plaster that covered the walls, the original stone is revealed, which now becomes a central element of the design. Likewise, the ceramic tile ceiling and traditional wooden beams have been respected and exposed, providing warmth and authenticity to the spaces. On the other hand, the original hydraulic floors function as decorative carpets that allow us to sense the old layout of the house, creating a link between the past and the present. These heritage elements dialogue with modern materials, such as wooden floors and walls, which fulfill a utilitarian function without overshadowing the true protagonist: the heritage elements of the house.

Text provided by the architects.

Thus, this slab becomes a mirror that reflects the upper section of the tower, the sky, and the surrounding trees; but it also transfigures into a fictitious glass, into a transparency, suggesting the presence of the lower tower.

And even more difficult: like a permanent cloud, the slab casts a dense and compact shadow over the lower tower, and even sometimes the rain falls all around the perimeter due to the overflow of the small pond.

Paradoxically, the function of the viewpoint is reversed inside the tower. Instead of framing the sublime panorama, perhaps tempering an imposing presence, access to the suspended platform occurs through a spiral staircase that revolves around a continuous mural of vines, both live and painted, depicting a selection of thirty interconnected native flowers on the same tree.

After the platform, a feeble wooden ladder allows climbing up to a dark room with four peepholes, a sort of intricate camera obscura, which in turn serves as a passage to an open, overexposed roof, with a hearth that, at the proper distance, could turn the entire tower into an antiquated chimney.

Text provided by the architects.

The central part of the Jingyang Camphor Court consists of a wooden cloister encircling the lush camphor trees, which establishes a unique atmosphere at the core of the complex. All new hotel programs such as verandas, guest rooms, conference spaces, and restaurants are arranged around and connected to this central cloister. site limitations, no other large public spaces other than the cloister could be created. The distances between the walls of the different volumes are very narrow, akin to the narrow width between the exterior walls of local vernacular buildings. By putting all buildings in close proximity to each other, an intimate, personal, and nostalgic atmosphere is created, with guests able to discover the different material tonalities arranged along a path, like wandering through a maze.

The hotel’s western area features a new courtyard-type building with the three buildings’ gable walls advancing and retreating to form small public plazas in front of them. From the exterior, these buildings’ subtle setback from the existing straight street draws the guests and public in. The entrance is located on the east of the site and has a deliberately low and unassuming profile, in accordance with the presence of trees and folded canopies. The subtle and human-oriented scale creates an intimate and welcoming atmosphere upon arrival. The hotel rooms are located in the old dormitory space, north of the central courtyard. Its walls were kept, while a new structure penetrates and juts out of the existing volume. Each hotel room has a balcony that faces the interior courtyard and the promenade spaces between the buildings.

The new restaurant is located in the former factory structure in the southern part of the site. The original side walls of this industrial relic were kept and thermal and sound insulation were added. Besides overall structural reinforcements, a new metal roof structure was added to increase the buildings’ safety. The ceiling height was also increased, and new skylights were introduced, creating a more pleasant and contemporary spatial atmosphere for guests while also paying homage to the site’s industrial past.

The bricks of the original structures had a red and orange hue. We wanted to honor this palette when opting for the tonality of the new buildings. Throughout the hotel, we used warm-colored concrete and a thin layer of tiles with a similar gradient. The external walls of the old and new volumes are a mix of kiln and old clay bricks and between the old and the new bricks, a warm-colored concrete is cast in place to create a harmonious transition between the preserved elements and those newly added. Their materiality, color, and texture are closely related to the history of porcelain production in Jingdezhen.

The Jingyang Camphor Court creates a new type of hotel experience with a publicly accessible courtyard that is as large as possible. Next to creating a tranquil and natural environment, the strategy of preservation, renovation, and revitalization of an existing warehouse was central for the arrangement and massing of new programs and creating a new and inviting atmosphere and future for this hotel.

Text provided by the architects.

Coinciding with the arrival area, a reception space is proposed that completes the semicircle and constructs its outline through a wooden bench. From this point, the user connects with a kind of large hallway, which acts as a backbone and provides access to each of the rooms. This entire strip is covered with wooden paneling that gives presence and seems to emphasize, to a greater extent, access to each of the programs.

The warmth of the wood on the vertical surfaces and the colorful linoleum red on certain floors contrast with the neutrality of the rest of the tones. White covers the majority of walls and ceilings and gives prominence to the unique vaulted roof.

Text provided by the architects.