The house
The house on Q4 was home to an Ecuadorian family for over 50 years. It was built
at a time when there was no road, using only manual labour and donkeys.
It is what they call here a "tapia house", which means made out of compacted earth.
These are not blocks like adobe blocks but rather they use a wooden boxing, put
earth inside and ram it. It is a labour intensive building technique but the results
are worth it.
Tapia - south-eastern wall
Tapia houses are solid constructions with thick walls providing a wonderful atmosphere
inside. This one has been standing for 50 years and no damage whatsoever is visible
in the structure.
Tapia house on Q4
The house dimensions are approximately 12 meters by 10 meters for a total area of
120 sqm (1,100 sqf). This includes the 2 covered open areas shown below.
Facing north-east, a nice patio, accessible from 2 large rooms, to sit down, relax
and absorb the views:
North-eastern side of the house
Or also to dry and pack the coffee
Facing north-west, this covered area can easily be converted into a kitchen:
The 2 large rooms (doors visible on photo of the north facing patio) are approximately
4m x 4m (16 sqm or 140 sqf). Windows can be added to these rooms to bring more light
in. One of these rooms can be a bedroom and the other one could be a living room.
More photos below
South-western wall
South-eastern wall
The roof needs some repair but this is just a matter of removing the tiles and replacing
some of the bamboo and timber which according to local builders is easy to do.
Roof over open area
North-western covered area
The house has a good height with space for a second level or a mezzanine floor
Second floor
North-western wall
Door to the current kitchen (small and dark, suitable for a walking pantry?)
North-eastern patio
We enjoyed a nice afternoon with Ecuadorian friends who showed us all the trees,
herbs and plants growing around the house. We were truly amazed at the amount of
natural wealth within meters from this house.
