
méctamo renovates 1900 house with private central patio in lima, peru
the interior includes a main family room, with a secret access to a hidden cooking workshop area.
architecture studio méctamo has renovated a 1900 house with a private central patio located in lima, peru. dubbed the ‘orei house’, the project is proposed as an exercise in the recovery and adaptation of the city’s architectural heritage to the new needs of contemporary life.

all images courtesy of alex bryce
front view of the house from calle cajamarca
according to sergio guzmán, director of méctamo, in today’s age, an adaptation of old built nature to new human needs, is ‘the only way to preserve our architectural heritage’. the renovation of the single-story house preserves the original construction systems from 1900: adobe walls, wooden ceilings and carpentry. meanwhile, it proposes a space capable of adapting to the dynamics of a three-member family.

central patio – the new kitchen is located on the right
the new design integrates environments that were previously separated due to the original layout of the dwelling. a central patio in the middle, serves as an open main hall, determining the distribution of the house. the kitchen, dining room and living room, are distributed around the nation, as interlinked spaces, within the large area that used to serve as a covered gallery. the original tall height of the house is used to include high shelves and a library.

central patio – kitchen view
the interior also features a main family room, with a secret access to a hidden workspace on the north side of the house. here, one can find the headquarters of ‘orei catering’, a cooking workshop where meals are prepared for different events that take place around the city.

view from the kitchen to the living room

view of the new living room

view of the office, from which you can access the main room through a secret passage

view of the work areas
project info:
name: casa orei
architecture office: méctamo
location: lima, perú
designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
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