A mixed-use building in Ecuador similar to a small town

The project Nature is located in the Tumbaco Valley, a mainly residential area 24 km away from the city of Quito. The absence of services and work in the valley and the economic dependence on the nearby Quito has gradually transformed the area into a small dormitory town. The project proposes a sustainable model of development of the territory promoting different strategies: working close to home and in the middle of nature, generating and consolidating the idea of city and community in the valley. The three-storey building adapts to the ground levels and takes shape from the significant natural heritage that characterizes it. The volume is then placed in the middle of the 2,500 sqm of land to leave the perimeter where the largest number of trees are concentrated.

The designers propose a C-shaped building with a central patio that becomes its heart. The rhythmic succession between private and common, indoor and outdoor spaces and an articulated system of horizontal and vertical connections and unexpected paths, generate a spatial complexity similar to that of a small village. Loggias, balconies and wooden brise soleil articulate the facades of both the offices and apartments, acting as thermal regulators, while small patios and the central atrium provide natural ventilation and allow light to penetrate the darkest areas of the building.