VDL House

Location: Anapoima, Colombia

Typology: Single Family Home

Key Features: Courtyard Cooling, Breeze Blocks, Rainwater Harvesting

Designed for a retired farm worker and his wife, Casa Luis is a sanctuary built to embrace the elements of its rural Anapoima setting. The home’s identity is defined by a central open courtyard, which acts as the building’s lungs. In this intense tropical climate, the architecture works to provide natural relief; decorative breeze blocks filter the sunlight into soft patterns while allowing a constant, cooling draft to flow through every room.

Beyond comfort, the house is designed for a self-sustaining lifestyle. The courtyard is a living space where the couple can tend to their garden, nourished by an integrated rainwater collection system. It is a home that respects the heat of the day and the quiet of the countryside, offering a sustainable and dignified retreat that feels deeply connected to the land they have worked for years.