Among Quillayes Mountain Bathroom

The relationship with the quillayes and myrtle forest was the conceptual core of the project. From the beginning, I understood that the bathroom had to integrate into the environment without disturbing it, like a pause in the journey of the landscape. Preserving a myrtle tree in the center of the plot was not a restriction, but rather an opportunity to redefine the logic of the design. Each decision was made based on that founding gesture: instead of modifying the topography, I proposed staggered platforms that followed the natural slope. Materials such as local stone, wood and recycled sleepers were chosen for their durability and their ability to blend chromatically with the environment. The result is a space that does not seek to impose itself, but rather to partially disappear among the vegetation, inviting an experience of contemplation. It is an architecture that dialogues with nature instead of dominating it, which in itself represents a challenge to the traditional conventions of built design.

The choice of recycled railway sleepers arises from the intention to give the project a resilient and coherent materiality with the environment. This material, loaded with history and previous use, provides a visual texture and a character that dialogues with the landscape without artifice. Beyond its rustic aesthetics and great durability, its reuse represents a conscious gesture towards sustainability, avoiding the use of new wood and reducing the environmental footprint. Their presence in the project reinforces the low-impact narrative: building not from excess, but from intelligent reuse and respect for existing resources. Furthermore, the aged dark color of the sleepers allows them to visually integrate into the terrain, as if they had always been there. With this, a silent connection is established between past, present and landscape, in line with the spirit of the project.

Implementing a terraced platform following the natural topography involved several technical challenges. Firstly, it was necessary to carry out a survey of the land to define levels without resorting to invasive cuts or filling. Each terrace had to resolve both the structural settlement and the fluid circulation, without compromising the existing vegetation or altering natural runoff. Specific and light foundations were chosen, avoiding continuous slabs, which made it possible to reduce contact with the ground and facilitate the aeration of the ground, leaving the building detached from the ground. The slope of the site also involved resolving the accessibility and stability of the construction elements, especially in an environment where rain and erosion are relevant factors. This strategy not only respected the landscape, but strengthened the idea that architecture can adapt to the terrain rather than transform it, maintaining its structural integrity with minimal impact.