Project: El Arca / Location: Chiriquí, Panamá / Architects: Mallol / Location: Panama City, Panama / Carpentry and Construction: Amílcar Rodríguez and Abdiel Rodríguez / Photographers: Alfredo Maiquez and Pepe Calavera
Located more than 2,000 meters above sea level on the slopes of Volcán Barú, El Arca in Chiriquí, Panama, is a private residential pavilion designed by Panama City-based Mallol Architects and completed in close collaboration with local craftsmen Amílcar and Abdiel Rodríguez, whose technical expertise in timber construction shaped the project from structural framing to finish.
The architects organized the pavilion beneath a single curved roof that spans the entire program. This overarching structure provides continuous shelter from the frequent rain and shifting climate of the highlands, establishing a strong architectural presence within the landscape. “Its profile draws inspiration from the form of a dry leaf fallen to the ground—a reference that gives the project its name (The Ark) and defines the distinct curved arc visible through the surrounding forest canopy,” the firm says.
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Living, dining and resting areas are arranged on a single level, oriented toward the gardens, the river and the surrounding cloud forest. The interior volume is defined by the exposed timber structure above, which remains visible throughout, reading as the building’s skeleton and its main detail
The builders sourced all of the primary materials from the site and its immediate territory. The structural frame, wall cladding, floors and exposed ceiling are constructed from cedar, a timber native to the property. Harvesting wood directly from the land, the firm says, “eliminates external supply chains and ensures that the material character of the building reflects the territory it occupies.”
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Joinery was executed entirely by hand by craftsmen from the Chiriquí highlands, whose familiarity with cedar informed every connection and surface. They clad the exterior envelope in shingles, maintaining material continuity with the timber structure while responding to a climate defined by rain, mist and daily temperature shifts. Additionally, the pathways, terraces and ground surfaces are made from locally extracted stone.
During the design process, the architects discovered a massive boulder on-site, and they built the pavilion around it. The rock now sits within an interior garden at the center of the home, enclosed by floor-to-ceiling cedar and glass, surrounded by endemic plants and lit from below. “It remains visible from the riverside through full-height glazing,” the firm says. “This decision shaped the organizing principle of the project: rather than clearing the site to impose a predetermined layout, the building was configured to accommodate what was already there.”
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The exterior landscape extends the architects’ respectful approach to the project. Cultivated gardens integrate endemic species with intentional planting across the site, while a mountain river that runs along the edge of the property resonates throughout every interior space, “functioning as a continuous acoustic connection between the building and its natural context,” the project statement says.
“By sourcing cedar from the property, extracting stone locally and employing solely craftsmen from the Chiriquí highlands, the project’s construction model kept the entire supply and labor chain within the region,” the firm says. “This approach kept the economic activity generated by the project within the territory and ensured that the technical knowledge embedded in the building remains with the community that built it.”
