Plan B Arquitectos’ Casa en Río Cedro is an Open Air Delight in Colombia

A nap in a hammock is a great way to spend any afternoon - and this home in Colombia looks like a great place to make that happen. Casa en Río Cedro is a completely open-air, two-story <a href="http://inhabitat.com/partially-furry-glass-cube-uses-tradition-palapa-as-a-sustainable-facade/">palapa</a> home that proves walls are not a necessity. Of course, the warm climate of Rio Cedro on the Caribbean certainly has something to do with that, and this directly influences the home's design. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/open-air-cube-pavilion-made-from-donated-sustainable-materials/">Plan B Arquitectura</a> adhered to local construction techniques and traditional design to maximize <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/shade-screen">shade</a> while encouraging natural ventilation and passive cooling. Sustainably harvested wood was used throughout to avoid contributing to the deforestation of native forests that is ongoing in the area.

The surrounding area has been ravaged by extensive deforestation of the native forest for livestock grazing and timbers.

To avoid using wood from native forests, the team sourced certified wood and pine grown in the Caribbean.

The roof was constructed from palm fronds using <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-water-house-makes-use-of-local-materials-and-traditional-techniques-in-china/">traditional techniques</a>.

The roof provides a shady cover for the upstairs and keeps the interior nice and dry during the rainy season.

A concrete foundation is used to hold the timber posts in place and create a more rigid structure.

An open floorplan on both the ground and first floor allow for a wide variety of activities and uses as well as flexible space for both day and night.

The home was designed not to withstand the forces of nature, but to be a part of them and let them simply pass through.

Modular design and construction is also expected to help the home deal with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/earthquake">earthquakes</a> and severe weather.

Oriented so the main facades face north and south, the home is positioned to minimize solar heat gain and take advantage of natural sea breezes.

Shade and passive cooling are used to counterbalance the warm climate without the use of electricity to supply any cooling.

During the day, no extra <a href="http://inhabitat.com/category/green-lighting">lighting</a> is beyond daylight is needed and the use of the hammock is highly enocouraged.

Rendering of Casa en Rio Cedro.

Ground floor plan of Casa en Rio Cedro.