2024 - Double Harmony

Double Harmony
Family Reflections: Two Stories United by Light
In the urban tissue, where architecture and daily life come together, light stands as a fundamental element that shapes our experience in public and in private. Light is more than a source of illumination, it is a language that shapes our experience and our emotions. In our homes, its presence or absence affects our perception of our surroundings. Why is light so important in a home? Because it goes beyond functionality. It represents openness, hope and life. A well-lit home is a welcoming and safe haven.
Architecture, which for centuries has always received sunlight by alliance, has reached a point where it is clear that the relationship between natural and artificial light is being rethought. In the context of this evolving debate, the opinion of the visionary architect Álvaro Siza is of great value, whose work can be considered an ode to natural light. Light in his work has no function; it is more a language that shapes the atmosphere of his spaces.
Between the vibrant energy of the city and the countryside, sunlight is instituting itself as a fundamental tool that not only illuminates our spaces, but also enriches our lives in a way that artificial light could never match. Unlike artificial light, which is usually uniform and static, natural light is dynamic and changing. The house stands out for its optimal use of natural light, encouraging coexistence and community togetherness through local commerce and shared spaces in which they celebrate the history and culture of Usme, valuing the skills and traditions of the people. In the warm light of the domestic space, two families with different histories find a common refuge where they can share dreams, strengthen ties and weave a future full of hope and opportunities.
Urban Roots, Rural Spirit: A House in the Heart of Usme
The house, situated on a sloping lot, adapts to the topography of the site creating different opportunities to enjoy the internal and external light. Taking advantage of the natural heights, the houses allow sunlight to penetrate through the domestic space and highlight with its radiance the interior spaces in which people manage to develop different sensations. The different heights and levels create a dynamic interaction between light and architecture, playing with shadows and reflections to create a visually stimulating and enveloping environment that will not always be the same thanks to the cycle of the sun and the moon.
Usme is the 5th district of the Capital District of Bogota, Colombia. It is a place full of cultural richness, thanks to this the project focuses on the Foundational Center of Usme where families can connect and learn from their ancestors. The center of Usme, rooted in the history of the Muisca people, offers a unique window into a past of connection with the land, the natural environment and the light that still endures today.
In the heart of Usme, where rurality is intertwined with the history marked by the Muiscas, there is a two-family house that is not only a home, but an epicenter of entrepreneurship and community. There a commercial area has been incorporated that not only benefits the two families that live there, but also boosts the economic development of the entire community. In this two-family house, the rurality of Usme combines with modernity and entrepreneurship to create a place where opportunities are endless and the sense of community is felt in every corner thanks to the spaciousness of a double height with large windows with gridded frames.
The design of the house mixes modernity and tradition, mainly its roof is characterized thanks to the arrangement and orientation of the openings in the roofs with a mesh, these symbolize a connection of the spaces with relation to the sun and the stars that are observed in the domestic spaces, reflecting the Muisca conception of the universe and its endless cycle. The natural light as protagonist appears at different times of the day embracing the families in spaces where they perform their daily activities and interact creating unique moments with different sensations thanks to the natural light. In this unique place, where the rural and the urban converge, the design of the houses respects and celebrates this ancestral heritage, taking into account its patterns and materiality.
This unique interaction between sunlight and our built environment is what makes natural light such a powerful and effective design tool as we desire in our project for a two-family home, homes that are not only functional and welcoming, but also become a structure that breathes and transforms with the cycles of the day, the dynamism of heights and orthogonality of the design adapts to the surrounding environment, creating a sense of continuity and belonging.