Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

This Carbon-Negative Cabin in Ecuador Sits Lightly in a Tropical Paradise

This Carbon-Negative Cabin in Ecuador Sits Lightly in a Tropical Paradise

The architects’ tiny, modular retreat uses sustainable materials and building techniques to leave the surroundings pristine for the next generation.

When architects Diana Salvador and Javier Mera came together to design Huaira Cabin, a 430-square-foot retreat in Puerto Quito, Ecuador, they identified sustainability and a connection to nature as two major goals. "We use the cabin once a week as our refuge outside the city," Salvador says. "Contact with nature is a very important part of our lives. Huaira Cabin reflects our ideology; we prefer to live simply."

Built on farmland located two and a half hours from Quito, Huaira Cabin is situated on the banks of a small river, named Roncador, and surrounded by cocoa, orange, and banana crops. Puerto Quito is part of Ecuador’s tropical forest and experiences a year-round temperature of about 77 degrees Fahrenheit and plenty of rainfall.

In response to this climate, Salvador and Mera raised the two-level home off the ground on gabions, or cages filled with rocks, to prevent flooding. The void between the earth and the ground floor traps cooler air beneath the interior of the cabin, ventilating and cooling it. Double walls-plywood on the interior and Tetra Pak on the exterior-and a double roof-glass on the interior and Tetra Pak on the exterior-allow cooler air to flow through the layers and wrap around the home. Perforations in the walls and the flooring facilitate cross ventilation.



The cabin is elevated by a system of gabions that act as its foundation and prevent flooding. The rear facade features a teak deck where visitors can sit outdoors.



The two-level cabin opens to the outdoors via a folding glass door.

The architects tied the cabin’s interior to the natural landscape in three different ways. The roof’s metal layer slides open to reveal the inner glass membrane. "The removable layer allows me to control direct sunlight without losing the connection to the sky and the environment," Salvador says. On the rear facade, a floor-to-ceiling glass wall and a folding glass door open the interior to teak decking, the river, and the lush vegetation surrounding the cabin. And on the front facade, a cantilevered glass shower provides the sensation of bathing outdoors.



Perforated plywood walls in the living area facilitate cross ventilation.



A large metal staircase near the kitchen folds up and provides access to the loft-like sleeping area.

An open floor plan provides flexibility for the owners and continues the theme of connection to the natural surroundings. The living room, kitchen, and a bathroom are located on the lower level, while the loft-like bedroom is accessed via a moveable staircase. "Every space has a function, but also gives the sensation of being outdoors," Salvador says. "Taking a shower allows you to see how cocoa is farmed. And at night, instead of counting sheep to go to sleep, you can count stars. Cooking and eating become a meditation exercise."



A sparse array of furnishings keeps the flow between the front and back of the cabin clear.



The loft-like sleeping area offers views of the forest.

Though it’s not apparent, the cabin features a modular quality that helps protect the natural landscape. "It’s low-impact and is made up of assembled pieces, like a large-scale Lego construction that can be transported in a single truck," Mera says.

In fact, Huaira Cabin boasts a negative carbon footprint. "We wanted to create a solution without generating more problems or waste," Salvador says. "Design and construction have to be done responsibly. As a client and as a mother, it’s important for me to think about future generations and the quality of the environment they’re going to inherit." Salvador wanted a retreat that would be economically sustainable, too. "When we stay in the city, Huaira can be rented out as a tourism getaway," she says. "This modality allows us to obtain income to pay for the financing."



The outer layer of the roof slides open, revealing a glass ceiling that lets in sunlight and frames views of the sky.



The cantilevered glass shower on the front facade features opaque banding that creates privacy.

In Quechua (the language spoken by Indigenous populations in the Peruvian Andes), "huaira" means wind. It’s a befitting name for a home treads so lightly on the land. "Huaira is the sum of multiple simple processes that solve a great complexity," Mera says. "It’s low-cost, replicable, scalable, modular, expandable, and adaptable to multiple weather conditions." And for Salvador, Huaira Cabin is as tranquil as it is dynamic. "The purpose was to create a continuous experiment that connects to the environment," she says. "It sounds a little bit romantic, but sadly, only a few people know how beneficial nature can be."



Lush vegetation and a small river mark the natural landscape that surrounds the cabin.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×