Casa 54 Sopó

Sustainable architecture and housing in Sopó, Colombia, adopts bioclimatic design principles to optimize energy use while responding to the region’s cold climate. Sopó, located in the Andean highlands, experiences cooler temperatures, particularly at night. The houses are designed to take advantage of natural resources, using the sun’s heat for warming during the day while minimizing heat loss at night. The relationship between sun and shadows is carefully considered in the placement of windows, roofs, and walls, allowing for passive solar heating and maximizing sun exposure during the colder months.

These houses are typically oriented to capture the sun’s rays, with large windows and materials with greater thermal mass, such as stone or adobe, to store heat and release it slowly, maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature.

Shading elements like eaves and pergolas are strategically designed to block the strong midday sun while allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper into the interiors during the cooler morning and afternoon hours. This harmonious integration of nature and architecture not only reduces the need for artificial heating but also promotes energy efficiency, comfort, and environmental sustainability.