We Desing and Build
In pursuit of beauty to enrich life2024
Ivory Coast
Mushroom structures blurring indoor and outdoor, nature and artifice
Our first project in Africa! Some premises when we started: shading, local materials and craftsmanship, natural cross ventilation, and social gathering versus privacy. With that in mind, concrete mushroom structures were the perfect solution we found for this project. The big structures with minimal support achieved the sun protection and temperature control the site required and ensured plan freedom for activities and furniture placement. The result is a fun but peaceful design that blurs the boundary between structure and architecture, indoor and outdoor, and contemporary and timeless design.
Team:
Pablo Zarama- Victor Ortiz
Structural Engineer: FM Enterprises @fmalawar
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Local Architecture: Atelier TOUMA
Casa la Reserva
2019
La Calera, Colombia
The journey and the landscape
The monolith, as an allegorical image of hot coal, was perforated or fractured to reveal the home’s warmth. Moreover, these perforations are related to the landscape and each manage to, through different strategies, highlight the natural surroundings.
Team:
Andrés Ortiz - Pablo Zarama
Construction:
RIR arquitectos
Fotos:
Juan Pablo Gutierrez
The monolith, as an allegorical image of hot coal, was perforated or fractured to reveal the home’s warmth. Moreover, these perforations are related to the landscape and each manage to, through different strategies, highlight the natural surroundings.
Team:
Andrés Ortiz - Pablo Zarama
Construction:
RIR arquitectos
Fotos:
Juan Pablo Gutierrez
2021
Bogotá, Colombia
One building with a park Vs. one park with a building
As the title establishes, the order of the actors substantially modifies the meaning of the sentence. In this way, the order implies a hierarchy. Based on the above, without wanting to downplay the importance of sports equipment, the project focuses its strategy on the construction of the park, of the public space. Thus, two major strategies were employed. First, given the condition of the soil that highly limits excavation, the velodrome and the stands are raised to allow an open first floor for public and private services. Secondly, the construction of two galleries that blur the line between open and closed, complementing the park with shopping and restaurant areas
Team:
Pablo Zarama- Fernando Zarama - Karen Bello
2021
Girardot, Colombia
(Surprising) modularity
The project complexes the use of a repetitive module to achieve variety and uniqueness. Surprises and singularity were achieved with a radial array of the room’s module. By breaking the linearity, the project generates a journey escorted by lights, shadows, and vegetation encouraging the user to walk through the entire building. Modular concrete formwork were used to harmonize architecture and technique, structure and space. Consequently, the biggest challenge of the project was to reconcile technical and spatial dualities: heavy vs. light, modular vs. singular, tradition vs. innovation. The final material selection assures the longevity and timelessness of the building. Architecture is thus a silent observer of human activity and the passage of time.
Team:
Fernando Zarama- Pablo Zarama- Karen Bello-
Construction:
Constructora Obreval