The Latin American territory encompasses a vast diversity of climates, atmospheres, and temperatures across its entire expanse. Amid forested landscapes, jungles, or coastal settings, many architects choose to design cabins immersed in natural surroundings, seeking to foster a deeper connection with nature by distancing themselves from the city. While experimenting with different materials and local techniques enhances a stronger bond with the site's traditions and creates a distinct architectural identity for each region, the integration of technological innovations and new construction materials can offer greater resilience to climate change, improve short- and long-term maintenance, optimize construction timelines, and address other key considerations.
When designing small-scale spaces, optimizing square footage while ensuring efficient functionality and installations is key to meeting the needs of their inhabitants. Just as Canada has a deeply rooted national tradition of second homes in the countryside or Africa’s round huts reflect the natural circular rhythm of indigenous cultures, most contemporary cabins in Latin America are conceived with a strong emphasis on respecting the natural landscape and surrounding vegetation. In some cases, they are elevated on stilts to preserve the natural terrain, avoiding disruption to local flora and fauna. For example, while Zero Cabin by Gávea Arquitetos is raised above the ground to minimize topographical alteration and streamline construction, other projects, such as Guayabamba Cabin by Rama Estudio, use materials like bahareque and wood to reclaim the symbolic value of the land and strengthen the connection with nature.
