An interview with Architect Marie Combette & Architect Daniel Moreno Flores of La Cabina de la Curiosidad - The Jury of Tiny House 2025 Competition

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our jury member of the Tiny House 2025 Architecture Competition.

We’re delighted to speak with "Marie Combette & Daniel Moreno Flores", founding partners at La Cabina de la Curiosidad. La Cabina de la Curiosidad began with the idea of exploring thoughts, researching material resources, reflecting on and questioning urban development models. They aim to sustain culture through ethnographic and architectural practices, raise awareness about human waste, value natural ecosystems, and foster human habitat solutions.

The practice is guided by core philosophical principles of dreaming, joy, sharing, optimization, and continuous learning. It operates with a freedom of action and a playful yet rigorous mindset—embracing curiosity, humor, and seriousness in equal measure to address fundamental issues. Committed to the common good, the studio seeks positive, responsible solutions that reduce the burdens placed on the territories it inhabits and influences.

Its design methodologies are rooted in deep contextual understanding, using community engagement, immersive and creative research, and careful interpretation of place as catalysts for the design process. The practice integrates recycled materials, systematized construction strategies, poetic gestures, and intelligent design devices to activate human interaction, while maintaining a strong, articulate voice in advocating for collective rights.

They have been recognized with several prestigious international honors, including being named Winners of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2025. Their work has also received top distinctions at CLIMAS XIII BIAU 2024, where they won in the Works category; the Inclusión Award 2024, securing First Prize in Architecture; and the Seoul Design Award 2024, where they were awarded Second Best of the Best in the Participation and Cooperation category for Sustainable 

Life.

We're excited to speak with them about their perspective on the field of architecture and their expectations from the participants of the Tiny House 2025 Architecture Competition. For the purpose of this interview, they would be referred to as MC&DMF in responses, however, Volume Zero is referred to as VZ.

MC&DMF- The Chaki Wasi, the artisan center of the Shalala community, has been a very enriching project, as it has addressed a territorial dimension, incorporating the culture, tradition, community, and materials of the territory, and teaching us how to work with materials from the Ecuadorian Andes.

MC&DMF- Our greatest challenges lie in working with limited economic funds, which has allowed us to be very creative and resolve the architecture with the resources we have available. In the lodgings at La Cantera, we managed to incorporate the essence of the stone quarry because we used a great number of recycled and natural elements from the site.

MC&DMF- Dream big with your feet on the ground, and solve the great problems facing humanity.

MC&DMF- We are excited to see the creativity of the people and their perspective on sustainability.

MC&DMF- We believe the biggest challenge is the approach to conceptualization and the location that participants choose.

MC&DMF- For us, it is very important to read the reality, where we understand the natural world, the existing resources in the environment, recycling, and dialogue with people.