Welcome to the Jungle

In Central America, Spanish colonial architecture prevails. But the creeping tide of modernism—represented here by the home of architect José Roberto Paredes—is signaling that change is afoot. Paredes gives us a tour of his house, set in the rain forest outside San Salvador, El Salvador.
Text by
Photos by

I never imagined that I would live in a house like Casa Tuscania. In fact, it wasn’t until I saw it for the first time, in the light of the morning, that I realized it was my dream house. Just a couple of years before, I had left my father and brother’s firm to start my own more modern architecture practice in San Salvador. We have broken down walls, literally and figuratively, to create the Swiss Family Robinson–like tree house we call home. It’s pretty isolated here, outside of San Salvador, and those factors were important in deciding where to build and how to raise our two daughters, Pilar, 15, and Jimena, 4, in a natural environment.

Try Dwell+ to Continue

Subscribe to Dwell+ to get unlimited access to the very best of Dwell, including a steady stream of subscriber exclusives, ad-free browsing, and more.

Subscribe to Dwell+

You can cancel at any time. Already a Dwell+ subscriber? Sign In

s
Sonja Hall
Sonja Hall is the editorial assistant at Dwell. As a young'un to the edit squad, she blogs to Latin-flavored hip hop beats and lime post-its when she's not dreaming of Sunday brunch.

Published

Last Updated