La Cima Casa by Ricardo De Castro is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award de Bronce in Diseño de Arquitectura, Edificación y Estructuras Competition Category.

BronceArquitectura· 2022

La Cima Casa

by Ricardo De Castro

Client: Ricardo De Castro. Architect, Designer and Builder.

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Arquitectura Category

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Verified Award Winner
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The Design

About La Cima Casa

La Cima es una vivienda de 340 metros cuadrados ubicada en la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. La casa está diseñada para adaptarse a la topografía de la montaña y limitar la intervención en el terreno. La sostenibilidad, la hermeticidad y la autosuficiencia guían el diseño. La orientación se definió de acuerdo con el clima local y la incidencia solar, siguiendo principios bioclimáticos. Amplias fachadas acristaladas enmarcan vistas de las montañas, la ciudad y el mar, mientras que el efecto invernadero y el efecto Venturi contribuyen a regular la temperatura interior. Se emplean piedra natural local, madera de teca y paneles solares en la cubierta.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

La Cima Casa ha ganado el A' Design Award de Bronce, un reconocimiento sumamente prestigioso concedido a diseños sobresalientes que se distinguen por su creatividad, ingenio y astucia. Los ganadores de Bronce son artefactos ampliamente hábiles y sorprendentemente creativos que acreditan la vasta experiencia, imaginación e ingeniosidad de sus diseñadores. Se espera que La Cima Casa sea un objeto muy apreciado, admirado y querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora las mejores prácticas del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología, y es excelente por su atención al detalle. La Cima Casa satisface espléndidamente las necesidades, toca los deseos, encanta los sentimientos y atrae la curiosidad.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: La Cima is a 340 m2 house, located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. It was conceived as a space in total harmony with the natural environment by integrating it with the topography of the mountain. Three basic concepts are reflected in its design: sustainability, airtightness and self-sufficiency. The project is created from bioclimatic architecture premises: characteristic climate of the area and sunlight, to determine its orientation. Natural phenomena such as the greenhouse effect and the Venturi effect were used.
Dimensions & Packaging: La Cima is a 340m2 house, located on a 27 hectare lot at 1,475 meters above sea level. With a total height of 7.4 meters, it was conceived on two levels: the first level with a builtin area of 181 m2, housing the social areas (living room, dining room, kitchen) and service areas; and the second level with a built area of 138 m2 houses the intimate areas of rooms and bathrooms. The 360 m2 outdoor area in terraces, swimming pool, parking lots and gardens.
Tags: Cima, Sustainability, Sierra Nevada, Colombia
Production Technology: The materials selected for the project are mostly local and low maintenance, such as the natural stone used in the facade and driveways, as well as the teak wood used in interior cladding. For the structural system, pvc and architectural concrete are selected, which are environmentally conscious materials; they comply with sustainable manufacturing processes, they are recyclable and with minimal environmental footprint indexes. To ensure the energy efficiency of the house, solar panels are placed on the roof
Design Challenge: The main challenge of the design was to generate a sustainable home with low environmental impact, where the environment was an envelope of the space and where in direct view of the sea and the mountains of the sierra. Facades were conceived with large glass windows. This solution is one of the determining architectural elements, because in addition to allowing a direct view of the environment, it allows the entry of controlled natural light and the regulation of the temperature of the interior spaces thanks to the greenhouse effect; thus minimizing energy consumption and ensuring the sustainable operation of the home.
Research: The design team investigated the environmental and construction variables of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, focusing attention on bioclimatic and sustainable strategies applicable to housing design. The passive design principles corresponding to natural ventilation and solar control were studied. This research resulted in the generation of a solar chimney through roof skylights and a photovoltaic energy panel system.
Inspiration: La Cima is inspired by the unique and characteristic natural habitat of the Colombian Sierra Nevada, seeks to integrate into the environment and intervene in the terrain as little as possible. The purpose of the design is to explore the architectural relationship between the interior and the exterior, blur the boundaries between the constructed and the natural and ensure a friendly and sustainable construction with the environment. Materials of natural origin are combined with a landscaping design with characteristic species of the area.
Project Duration: Design Date:
The design phase of the project began in January 2021 and construction began in June 2021.

Location: It is located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Operation Flow: The construction is oriented to the west with a direct view of the city of Santa Marta. The main access is in the southeast direction, entering the social area that integrates the kitchen, dining room and living room areas. Thanks to the glass facade, the user can see the mountains of the sierra in an eastwest direction and the city and the sea in a northwest direction. The natural slope of the land is used to the north to generate a double height area from where the user can enjoy a view of the landscape. To access the second level, a metallic helical staircase is generated that leads to the three rooms
Team Members: Ricardo De Castro
Image Credits: Ricardo De Castro