In Ecuador, concrete structures with masonry walls are the primary construction type despite being polluting and having proven to be the most dangerous during earthquakes due to the collapse of infill walls. In this South American country, the only minimum sustainability goals are set by a 2016 regulation of the city of Quito, established to intensify urban density in exchange for eco-efficient construction based on three parameters: reduction of water and energy consumption, and contributions in environmental, landscape, and technological aspects
LB Building. Honorable Mention in Eco-efficient Design for its technology in favor of sustainability
LB Building. Honorable Mention in Eco-efficient Design for its technology in favor of sustainability
The LB building in Quito, Ecuador, which houses local commercial activities on the lower floors and apartments on the upper levels, is an example of eco-efficiency. It has been taken as a reference by the Municipality for its comprehensive design and received an Honorable Mention in Eco-efficient Design from the Metropolitan Environmental Distinction of Sustainable Quito 2020
The third parameter of the regulation provides significant guidance on the resistance and safety of dry construction with light walls in case of earthquakes. The professionals from the studio Arquitectura X, in charge of the LB residential building project, consistently commit in their practice to reducing the environmental impact of construction. Moreover, they treat their architectures as systems intrinsically linked to their environment, both natural and built
The construction technique and materials are applied in relation to the environment in which they are built, serving as support and mediators for the project's integration. This dictates the elimination of formal predetermination in favor of fragmenting the building into subsystems: its components and the rules that connect them. For architectural composition, the Studio draws inspiration from the mosaic murals created by modern Ecuadorian artist Jaime Andrade Moscoso in Quito: the use of the diagonal that breaks the orthogonality and composes spaces, figures, and the interplay of light and shadow
For the LB building, the diagonal fragmentation strategy stems from the need to work with efficient orthogonal patterns, in contrast to the irregular shape of the plot, and becomes the geometric method applied to break the boundary between the apartments and the cityscape. The building is also perceived by the city as open and permeable due to its fragmented geometry and the construction system that uses 240 x 30 cm. fiber-cement siding panels as its primary component, while the diagonal is incorporated both in plan and section
The layout is organized around a central patio on the ground floor, with corresponding terraces on the upper floors and canopies that open to this space. The terraces facing the streets are crucial for the geometric fragmentation strategy and to make the building permeable to its surroundings. Pool, central courtyard, gardens, barbecue areas, and social zones on the terrace are designed to encourage recreation within the building; the pool also serves as an emergency reservoir
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