Iron Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design · 2025
Among Quillayes Mountain Bathroom
by Hector Nava
- A' Design Award 2025 Iron Winner in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Héctor Nava.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 28,996
- Verification code 05D8A020AC · Verify this award
About Among Quillayes Mountain Bathroom
Set within a privileged natural environment, this architectural project redefines the relationship between construction and landscape with a focus on sustainability. Designed around a majestic Quillayes forest, the project minimizes environmental impact, integrating seamlessly with its surroundings. It uses locally sourced, low impact materials like wood, natural stone, and reclaimed railway sleepers, creating a rustic yet refined aesthetic in harmony with nature. The design emphasizes energy efficiency, reducing the overall carbon footprint and promoting long term ecological balance.
Among Quillayes Mountain Bathroom by HECTOR NAVA F engages architectural traditions that honor material authenticity, environmental sensitivity, and the poetic potential of essential shelter, positioning this compact pavilion within broader contemporary movements toward sustainable design practices that prioritize site integration, resource consciousness, and experiential richness achieved through restraint rather than excess, the work participating in conversations about biophilic design principles that recognize human psychological and physiological benefits derived from sustained connection with natural systems, suggesting affinities with regional modernist traditions that adapt universal modernist vocabularies to specific climatic, topographic, and cultural contexts while resisting homogenizing globalization, the compositional achievement demonstrates sophisticated understanding of proportional relationships, material juxtaposition, and spatial sequence, where the measured symmetry creates ceremonial gravitas appropriate to threshold crossing while the human-scaled dimensions maintain approachable intimacy, the chromatic restraint allowing material character rather than applied color to generate visual interest, the deep charcoal metal cladding receding visually to emphasize the welcoming warmth of timber entry portal, this material dialogue between industrial corrugated metal and organic timber establishing fundamental themes of the design where contemporary fabrication technologies serve vernacular sensibilities and environmental responsibility, the technical facility evident in precise detailing where cladding terminates cleanly at roof edge, where framing members receive metal skin without visible fastener intrusion compromising the graphic clarity, where pavers align axially to reinforce approach geometry, where landscape and architecture interpenetrate through strategic placement within existing canopy rather than clearing dominating the site, thematically the work appears to explore questions of appropriate shelter, sufficient architecture, and the dignity achievable through simplicity when every material choice carries intention and every formal gesture serves multiple purposes simultaneously functional, aesthetic, and philosophical, the structure seemingly meditating on what constitutes necessary versus excessive in contemporary building culture, proposing that richness emerges through quality of material, precision of craft, and thoughtful environmental relationship rather than through scale or ornamental elaboration, the quillay canopy integration and lattice screening suggest sensitivity to privacy needs while maintaining visual and atmospheric connection to surrounding forest ecology, creating shelter that feels nested within rather than imposed upon its context, potential iconographic references might include the archetypal cabin or hermitage as places of retreat and contemplation, the Japanese tea house tradition where modest scale and material refinement create heightened experiential awareness, or the Thoreauvian ideal of deliberate simplified living in nature where built form facilitates rather than interrupts environmental immersion, the work invites viewers to consider how contemporary architecture might reconcile human needs for comfort and hygiene with environmental stewardship imperatives, how industrial materials traditionally associated with purely utilitarian construction can achieve aesthetic dignity through careful application and formal discipline, how small interventions thoughtfully conceived may satisfy functional requirements while enhancing rather than degrading site character, and ultimately how the designed environment shapes daily rituals and experiential quality, transforming mundane necessity into opportunities for sensory pleasure and reflective pause within the embrace of mountain forest atmosphere.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This design is a sustainable architectural proposal that seamlessly integrates into its natural surroundings, respecting and enhancing the existing ecosystem. What sets it apart is its focus on minimal environmental impact and the use of locally sourced, low-impact materials such as wood, natural stone, and reclaimed railway sleepers. The harmony between architecture and nature, combined with a rustic yet refined aesthetic, makes it a model of sustainability and respect for the landscape.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The project measures 3.45 m in width, 2.00 m in depth, and covers approximately 7 m². The maximum facade height is 3.2 m, adapting to the roof slope and respecting the natural topography. The design harmoniously integrates with the environment, optimizing the relationship between structure, materials, and landscape.
- Tags
- Integration with the landscape, sustainable architecture, natural materials, adaptation to the terrain, bioclimatic design, respect for the environment, terraced platforms, vegetation preservation.
- Production Technology
- The design follows a contextual architecture approach, blending site analysis, digital modeling, and exploratory models. Durable materials like natural stone, concrete, recycled wooden sleepers, and wood were chosen for their environmental harmony. Terraced platforms follow the topography, optimizing views and circulation. Sustainability principles were prioritized to minimize environmental impact and enhance construction efficiency.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge in this design was balancing integration with the natural environment while meeting local regulations and technical requirements. Adapting to the mountainous terrain and preserving a landmark tree required innovative solutions to protect the ecosystem. Additionally, selecting sustainable materials was complex due to the limited availability of local options that met durability and aesthetic needs. Overcoming these obstacles required a creative approach and thorough site analysis.
- Project Duration
- The project started in March 2024 and finished in July 2024, located in the Arrayán mountain region in Lo Barnechea, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile.
- Operation Flow
- This space seamlessly blends with its surroundings, offering a welcoming and functional experience. The structure follows the land's shape, creating terraces that connect visually with the landscape. Wood and stone materials provide warmth and durability, while the layout optimizes light and ventilation. Every element is thoughtfully designed to ensure comfort and harmony with nature, enhancing the overall user experience.
- Research
- The project explores how architecture can respectfully integrate with the natural landscape using sustainable materials. Data collected through site visits and analysis of locally available materials shows that natural materials strengthen the connection between the design and its environment. This approach fosters sustainable architecture by promoting environmentally respectful solutions and creating functional spaces.
- Inspiration
- This project integrates architecture with nature, prioritizing minimal intervention and preserving the majestic arrayán tree as the centerpiece. Guided by site-specific research, the design utilizes sustainable materials like natural stone, concrete, and wooden sleepers for durability and aesthetic harmony. The terraced platforms follow the natural terrain, ensuring a seamless connection between the built environment and the landscape.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Héctor Nava, Landscape and Architecture, 2024.
Image #2: Illustrator Héctor Nava, Design and Nature, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Héctor Nava, Integration of Elements, 2024.
Image #4: Illustrator Héctor Nava, Cabin interior, 2024.
Image #5: Photographer Héctor Nava, Platform and Topography, 2024. - Patents
- Copyright © Héctor Nava, [2024]
Colors of Among Quillayes Mountain Bathroom
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G0E23 ShopGrand Interview about Among Quillayes Mountain Bathroom
The relationship with the quillayes and myrtle forest was the conceptual core of the project. From the beginning, I understood that the bathroom had to integrate into the environment without disturbing it, like a pause in the journey of the landscape. Preserving a myrtle tree in the center of the plot was not a restriction, but rather an opportunity to redefine the logic of the design. Each decision was made based on that founding gesture: instead of modifying the topography, I proposed staggered platforms that followed the natural slope. Materials such as local stone, wood and recycled sleepers were chosen for their durability and their ability to blend chromatically with the environment. The result is a space that does not seek to impose itself, but rather to partially disappear among the vegetation, inviting an experience of contemplation. It is an architecture that dialogues with nature instead of dominating it, which in itself represents a challenge to the traditional conventions of built design.
The choice of recycled railway sleepers arises from the intention to give the project a resilient and coherent materiality with the environment. This material, loaded with history and previous use, provides a visual texture and a character that dialogues with the landscape without artifice. Beyond its rustic aesthetics and great durability, its reuse represents a conscious gesture towards sustainability, avoiding the use of new wood and reducing the environmental footprint. Their presence in the project reinforces the low-impact narrative: building not from excess, but from intelligent reuse and respect for existing resources. Furthermore, the aged dark color of the sleepers allows them to visually integrate into the terrain, as if they had always been there. With this, a silent connection is established between past, present and landscape, in line with the spirit of the project.
Implementing a terraced platform following the natural topography involved several technical challenges. Firstly, it was necessary to carry out a survey of the land to define levels without resorting to invasive cuts or filling. Each terrace had to resolve both the structural settlement and the fluid circulation, without compromising the existing vegetation or altering natural runoff. Specific and light foundations were chosen, avoiding continuous slabs, which made it possible to reduce contact with the ground and facilitate the aeration of the ground, leaving the building detached from the ground. The slope of the site also involved resolving the accessibility and stability of the construction elements, especially in an environment where rain and erosion are relevant factors. This strategy not only respected the landscape, but strengthened the idea that architecture can adapt to the terrain rather than transform it, maintaining its structural integrity with minimal impact.
Among Quillayes' energy efficiency is not based solely on sustainable materials, but on a comprehensive passive strategy. The design takes advantage of solar orientation to maximize the entry of natural light during the day, reducing the need for artificial lighting. The use of materials with good thermal inertia, such as stone and wood, contributes to stabilizing the interior temperature, absorbing daytime heat and releasing it at night. In addition, the inclined and ventilated roof allows accumulated hot air to be evacuated, improving habitability in variable climates. These resources work together to reduce energy consumption, minimize the carbon footprint and offer a comfortable experience that is deeply connected to the natural conditions of the environment.
Although the myrtle tree is not exactly near the bathroom, the preservation of the myrtle tree was a foundational decision that defined the character of the overall project, including the bathroom. To protect it, a respectful perimeter was established from the first stages of design, avoiding any excavation or foundation close to its root system. The structure moved laterally and was divided into platforms that flow around the tree, generating a central void that frames it without touching it. These adaptations not only protected the tree, but turned it into the symbolic and spatial axis of the project, reaffirming the idea that architecture can and should be built around the living, not above it.
The balance between rusticity and refinement in Among Quillayes was achieved through a careful selection of materials and construction details that responded to the environment without falling into the merely traditional or pretentious. Natural stone and recycled sleepers provide the texture and rustic warmth of the mountain landscape, while simple, clean lines and precise joints introduce an air of contemporary sophistication. The carpentry and surface treatment of the wood emphasize that duality: its organic essence was respected, but with finishes that ensure durability and comfort. Thus, the project invites an authentic experience, where the architecture feels genuine and at the same time carefully crafted, respecting the unique character of the place and offering a serene and welcoming atmosphere.
Maximizing functionality in just 7 m2 involved meticulous planning, where every centimeter is important without sacrificing the feeling of openness. The design takes advantage of the elongated shape and dimensions to organize the spaces in a linear manner, facilitating natural flow and unobstructed circulation. Strategic openings provide light and views to the environment, expanding spatial perception and connecting interior and exterior. The materials and textures continue the dialogue with the landscape, avoiding visual breaks that could saturate the space.
Site investigation was essential to understand the topographic complexity, biodiversity and climatic conditions of the area. Through visits, analysis of the terrain and data collection, we detected the presence of different trees under legal protection regime, which became the central axis of the project. We also identified wind and sunlight patterns that guided the orientation and natural ventilation of the bathroom. The study of locally available materials allowed us to select stone, wood and recycled sleepers that ensured durability and low environmental impact. This knowledge guided a design that responds sensitively to the place, minimizing interventions and maximizing integration with the ecosystem.
Although it is a small and private project, demonstrating that it is possible to design functional and beautiful spaces that deeply respect their natural environment is a good achievement. I believe this project promotes a vision where the integration of local materials, such as natural stone and recycled wood, not only meets aesthetic criteria, but also reduces the environmental footprint and promotes the circular economy. Furthermore, the conscious preservation of the landscape, such as the protection of myrtle, shows that architecture should not impose itself on the environment, but rather dialogue with it.
Receiving this recognition has reaffirmed my conviction that sustainable architecture is not just an option, but an inevitable responsibility, especially in complex terrain such as mountains. This recognition motivates me to continue exploring solutions that respect the natural environment and respond to technical challenges with creativity and sensitivity. The Among Quillayes project taught me that innovation can arise from simplicity, from understanding the site and using local materials with low impact. The award strengthens my commitment to designing spaces that harmonize with nature, minimize the environmental footprint and offer comfort, even in the most demanding conditions.