A Lodge in the Pigüe: A Sustainable Amazon Retreat by Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura

A Lodge in the Pigüe by Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura is a profound architectural response to the Ecuadorian Amazon: an intimate, eco-conscious structure designed to celebrate, preserve, and coexist with the natural environment. Completed in 2024 and spanning 484 ft², the lodge stands in the El Calvario community of Pastaza province, where owner Pablo envisioned a refuge for rest, reflection, and immersion in the rainforest’s living ecosystem.

Respecting Ancestry and Territory

The project began with a simple yet powerful intention: to protect what already exists. This guiding principle shaped every architectural decision, rooted in Pablo’s desire to honor Mother Nature and retain the land’s original essence. Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura approached the commission through the lens of cultural ancestry, vernacular knowledge, and territorial awareness, merging traditional building logic with contemporary environmental sensibilities.

A Site Defined by Nature

Located on a 2.5-hectare family plot, the lodge sits along a ravine where diverse Amazonian wildlife converges. Instead of altering the terrain, the architects embraced its natural morphology. At the heart of the design stands a mature Pigüe tree, preserved as an active inhabitant of the structure. Rather than displacing it, the architecture grows around it, allowing the tree to thrive within the building envelope.

Sustainable Material Strategies

Material selection embodies the project's ethos of circularity, reuse, and environmental stewardship. The lodge incorporates:

• Recycled industrial materials such as metal pipes, welded mesh, and steel rods repurposed from the oil industry
• Natural local materials including rocks, wood, and bamboo sourced from the region

These materials not only reduce environmental impact but also reflect local knowledge systems and artisanal construction traditions. The structure’s foundation is raised on recycled pipe piles, protecting it from humidity and safeguarding nearby springs. This elevated system also enables the installation of biofilters for wastewater management, reinforcing ecological responsibility.

Architecture that Coexists with the Jungle

Positioned horizontally along the ravine, the lodge forms a subtle linear presence that respects the terrain. The floor is composed of bamboo and wooden pieces, while wood and glass panels shape the internal rooms, enhancing transparency and continuity with the surrounding forest.

A carefully extended roof shelters the interior from the Amazon’s intense rain and winds. The Pigüe tree pierces through the roofing system, maintaining the moisture level necessary for its living ecosystem. This integration transforms the tree into both a structural protagonist and a symbol of coexistence between built space and nature.

Crafted Enclosure and Sensory Warmth

The lodge’s envelope combines fragmented rocks and natural fillings within welded mesh formwork, producing a tactile, handcrafted quality. This hybrid assembly of recycled and natural materials ensures durability while retaining the raw beauty of Amazonian construction.

Interior spaces are warm, minimal, and deeply connected to the landscape. Large openings frame the surrounding jungle, and natural light filters through the wooden surfaces, creating an atmosphere of tranquility ideal for rest and retreat.

A Model for Sensitive Environmental Intervention

A Lodge in the Pigüe demonstrates how architecture can operate responsibly within vulnerable ecosystems. Its design reconsiders natural potential, elevates cultural wisdom, and foregrounds coexistence. More than a building, it is a living habitat, home not only to its human visitors but to the Pigüe tree, which continues to attract biodiversity and sustain life within the lodge.

Through this project, Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura presents a compelling model for sustainable Amazon architecture, where innovation, respect, and ancestral knowledge converge to create architecture that honors the land it inhabits.

All photographs are works of Punto Dos Studio, Andrés Villota