Architect Felipe Escudero created and built this clover-shaped property close to the Ecuadorian mountain immortalised in the Walter J Turner poem Romance .
Sitting at an altitude of 3,600 metres, the single-storey home is situated near Chimborazo mountain, the highest peak in Ecuador. It functions a curvaceous concrete type with three petal-shaped wings.
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Felipe Escudero named the project Clover House, acknowledging its resemblance to the herbaceous green plant that normally has just three leaflets.
The largest of the wings accommodates a trio of bedrooms with accompanying bathrooms, while the other two contain a living space and a combined kitchen and dining space. Terraces occupy the external spaces in between.
“Conceived for the higher altitudes and extreme climate of the Andes mountain range, the walls of the retreat design the exterior spaces as a lot as they define the interior ones, ensuring that all components of the dwelling acquire direct sunlight throughout the day,” said the architect.
“The plan of the residence accepts the classic Latin American approach to divide the sleeping from the living and from the kitchen. These elements are organised and connected by a single continuous wall that takes on a selection of geometries,” he added.
The building’s walls are formed of reinforced concrete aggregate that was developed using ground material located in the surroundings. Escudero constructed the residence himself, with assist from local builders.
Interior wall surfaces are plastered and painted white, even though flooring is wooden. Large windows were also added to frame views of the mountain landscape.
Concept diagram Floor program –
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