La Cima Inzu by Ricardo De Castro is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze in Igishushanyo cy'Ubwubatsi Competition Category.

BuronzeUbwubatsi· 2022

La Cima Inzu

by Ricardo De Castro

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

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze Winner in Ubwubatsi Category

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Colors

The Design

About La Cima Inzu

La Cima ni inzu ifite ubuso bwa metero kare 340, iherereye mu misozi ya Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, muri Kolombiya. Iyi nzu yateguwe ikurikije imiterere y'ubutaka bw'umusozi, kugira ngo hirindwe guhindura cyane imiterere y'ahantu. Ibitekerezo by'ibanze mu gushushanya ni ukubungabunga ibidukikije, kubaka inzu ifunze neza (idacamo umuyaga) ndetse n'ubwigenge mu bijyanye n'ingufu. Icyerekezo cy'inzu cyahiswemo hashingiwe ku bihe by'ikirere byo mu karere ndetse n'uko izuba rirasa, hakurikijwe amahame y'ubwubatsi buhuza n'ikirere (bioclimatic). Amadirishya manini y'ikirahure yubatswe mu buryo bwerekana neza imisozi, umujyi n'inyanja, mu gihe ingaruka ya "greenhouse" na "Venturi" zifasha kugenzura ubushyuhe bw'imbere mu nzu. Hakoreshejwe amabuye asanzwe akomoka mu karere, igiti cya teak, ndetse n'ingufu z'izuba zikuwe mu mbaho z'izuba zishyizwe ku gasozi k'inzu.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze

La Cima Inzu ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze, ishimwe ry'agaciro gakomeye ritangwa ku bishushanyo by'indashyikirwa birangwa no guhanga, ubwenge n'ubushishozi. Abegukanye Buronze ni ibihangano bifite ubuhanga bwinshi kandi bihanga cyane, bishimangira uburambe, ubwenge n'ubushobozi bw'ababihanze. La Cima Inzu biteganyijwe ko izaba ikintu cyubahwa, gishimwa kandi gikundwa, gifite ubunyamwuga n'udushya. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye Buronze gikoresha uburyo bwiza mu buhanzi, ubumenyi, ubushushanyo n'ikoranabuhanga kandi kirarenze mu gutaha ku tuntu duto. La Cima Inzu ishimisha ibyo dukeneye, ikora ku byifuzo byacu, itwara amarangamutima yacu kandi ikurura amatsiko yacu.

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