A family
approached us to design a shelter in a rural area near Bogotá. The shelter had to serve as both a home and the
headquarters of their small rural tourism company. The company specialised in
hosting travelers interested in bird watching and offering yoga workshops. The
project is located 16 km from Bogotá, in a unique biodiversity area, with a
cold climate (the average daily temperature throughout the year is 9ºC and the
average minimum is -1ºC) and high rainfall.
The
sub-paramo ecosystem in the tropical Andes is naturally very rich but vulnerable
to the increasing expansion of human activity in the area. The project began at
the same time as the peace agreement negotiations in Colombia were being
developed. While the peace process was both necessary and urgent, it presents a
challenge in
terms of its significant impact on territorial dynamics.
As
security improves in rural areas, there is an unprecedented potential for urban
areas to expand into the countryside. This expansion is causing additional
pressures on many areas with high ecological value. We agreed with this family
that this house, along with the various landscape micro-actions that comprise
the project, would serve as a small laboratory to experiment with responsible
ways of inhabiting the territory.
At the request of the future residents, our
collaboration explored ecotourism strategies that promote harmonious,
alternative forms of coexistence between humans and other animal species.
