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Exterior of house in the Czech Republic by RO_AR

Architecture

Grass-topped home by RO_AR bridges “the urban and the natural”

By Zarkon Group,30/04/2023

An undulating concrete roof topped with grass covers this house in the Czech Republic, designed by local architecture studio RO_AR.

Located alongside a wildlife corridor at the edge of the Hlubocepy district in Prague, the family home is designed to be a “bridge between the urban and the natural”.

To achieve this, RO_AR designed the house as a “clash of two geometries”: a rectilinear form facing the city that is clad in thin oak slats and a hill-like, grass-topped form facing the garden and natural landscape beyond.

“Urban space surrounds the site on the south and east sides,” explained studio founder Szymon Rozwałka. “It is a chaotic and random development, often adversely affecting the value of the terrain.”

“We designed a building that was created by the method of land deformation. The terrain was to transition smoothly from the north-west side into an artificial ‘hill’ into which the house was to be placed,” he continued.

On approach, the ground floor has been carved out to create a garage and entrance sheltered by the overhanging first floor. Here, a paved path leads around the side of the home into the garden.

Home with glazed facade and green roof — It has an undulating concrete roof topped with grass

While the front of the dwelling is more austere, finished in white render and clad with oak battens for privacy, the rear opens onto the garden through fully-glazed facades beneath the curving roof.

“The home seeks to extend the natural context into the interior of the site and into the interiors,” said Rozwałka. “It becomes an abstract body that, through its form and scale, corresponds to the surrounding rocks in the background.”

A paved patio outside the living area overlooks a small pond, and on the first floor, one of the bedrooms opens onto a small terrace that is concealed from the adjacent properties by a section of concrete wall.

Internally, the home’s undulating roof is expressed as an exposed, board-marked concrete ceiling, with large skylights created in the areas where its curves intersect.

Entrance to family house in the Czech Republic by RO_AR — An overhanging first floor creates a sheltered entrance

The concrete structure has also been left exposed for the internal walls, contrasted by wooden ceilings and staircases and black-metal frames, fittings and furniture.

Concrete interior of Czech house by RO_AR — The concrete structure has been left exposed

Based in Brno, RO_AR was founded in 2011 by Rozwałka and operates in both the Czech Republic and Poland.

Elsewhere in the Czech Republic, local studio Architektura recently completed a brightly coloured kindergarten that is intended to echo childhood playfulness.

Reference

Casa Alférez, Cañada De Alferes, by Ludwig Godefroy in roundup on brutalist Mexican houses

Interior Design

Eight brutalist Mexican home interiors proving concrete isn’t always cold

By Zarkon Group,30/04/2023

Raw concrete surfaces are softened by timber and plenty of daylight inside these Mexican houses, rounded up here as part of our latest lookbook.

Many of these brutalist interiors leave their concrete shells exposed and their cavernous rooms largely unadorned.

But freed of the constraints posed by frigid temperatures, they also create a greater connection to the outside, whether overlooking Puerto Escondido’s wave-swept beaches or nestled in the bustling metropolis of Mexico City.

Here, concrete surfaces help to create a sense of seamlessness between indoor and outdoor spaces – often separated only by removable partitions – while unfinished natural materials, such as wood or stone, are brought into the interior.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with exposed services, primary-coloured living spaces and houses with outdoor showers.

Casa Alférez, Cañada De Alferes, by Ludwig Godefroy

Tucked away in the forest outside Cañada De Alferes near Mexico City, this brutalist holiday home has a board-formed concrete shell.

This is left on display throughout its entire interior, all the way down to the bedrooms (top image) and the double-height lounge (above).

To bring a sense of homeliness to its otherwise spartan living spaces, architect Ludwig Godefroy added warm wooden floors and lush pops of green – as seen across upholstery and lighting fixtures.

Find out more about Casa Alférez ›

Casa del Sapo by Espacio 18 Arquitectura in Oaxaca, Mexico — Photo by Onnis Luque and Fabian Martinez

La Casa del Sapo, Playa Zapotengo, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura

The kitchen of this seafront home – set right on Oaxaca’s Zapotengo beach – can be merged with its neighbouring patio using a wide wooden folding door.

All-around concrete helps to underline this fusion, while also serving a practical function in the form of a kitchen island and matching shelves.

Find out more about La Casa del Sapo ›

The Hill in Front of the Glen, Morelia, by HW Studio

Reminiscent of the Hobbit houses in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, this sunken home is nestled into a hillside in the forests of Michoacán in central Mexico.

The building’s interiors are defined by its concrete vaulted ceilings, which can be seen in every room, while log benches and full-height glazing provide a visual link to the woodland outside.

Find out more about The Hill in Front of the Glen ›

Casa Mérida by Ludwig Godefroy — Photo by Rory Gardiner

Casa Mérida, Mérida, by Ludwig Godefroy

Mayan architecture and craftsmanship informed the design of this otherwise brutalist house in Yucatán state, which is considered the capital of the indigenous civilisation.

The home’s perimeter walls, for example, have joints covered in stone splinters that take cues from the design of Mayan pyramids and temples. These are left exposed on the interior alongside the concrete ceilings, creating a rich medley of architectural references.

Find out more about Casa Mérida ›

Pachua by PPAA from roundup on brutalist Mexican houses — Photo by Rafael Gamo

Pachuca Apartments, Mexico City, by PPAA

Concrete slabs pave both the patio and living spaces in this Mexico City house to create a sense of continuity, only separated by a full-height glass wall that can be completely pushed open.

On the interior, the rough concrete finishes are contrasted with details in American white oak, among them a long dining table as well as a staircase with treads that slot into a huge bookshelf.

Find out more about Pachuca Apartments ›

Casa UC, Morelia, by Daniela Bucio Sistos

Neutral colours and tactile materials are found throughout this home in the city of Morelia, including raw concrete ceilings and floors finished in a honey-toned tropical timber called caobilla.

In the library, the same wood was also used to form integrated shelves and a huge porthole window that can be pivoted open and closed like a door.

Find out more about Casa UC ›

Casa Aguacates, Valle de Bravo, by Francisco Pardo

Mexican architect Francisco Pardo repurposed the pinewood formwork used in the process of constructing this concrete house to form a series of partition walls throughout the home.

The resulting interior layout is simple and fluid and centres on an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room that open up onto a sunken garden.

Find out more about Casa Aguacates ›

ZIcatela House by Ludwig Godefroy — Photo by Rory Gardiner

Zicatela, Puerto Escondido, by Emmanuel Picault and Ludwig Godefroy

Set in the small surf town of Puerto Escondido, this weekend home accommodates its main living areas inside a covered patio and is made almost entirely of concrete.

The only exceptions are the doors and sliding louvred wood screens that can be used to open the space up to the gardens on either side, as well as a few sparse furnishings such as the low-slung dining table, which is made from a cross-sectioned tree trunk.

Find out more about Zicatela ›

Reference

Sustainable News

A generative AI answers users’ questions about the latest scientific research

By Zarkon Group,29/04/2023

Spotted: Global scholarship in many fields has been growing for years, with more researchers and scientists publishing larger numbers of articles. Trying to stay on top of the latest findings is a difficult job, even for someone immersed in a field. New company Consensus is using artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the time burden of searching for the latest information.

An AI-powered search engine, Consensus’ platform reads peer-reviewed articles to find research that addresses a users’ query. Search results are ranked according to their relevance to the query and quality of answers found. The Consensus team reminds users that the AI is trained on scholarly publications and is therefore not a general search engine that provides answers to basic facts.

Video source Consensus

Currently in beta format, users must set up an account to use the platform. Consensus provides an online best practice guide that includes suggestions for phrasing questions. The company also provides examples of search terms that return more limited results and explains the reasons why.

The platform is constantly improving, and the Consensus team lists a few of the ways in which they are actively working to strengthen results, including broadening the AI’s understanding of text formatting in scientific papers and increasing the AI’s contextual understanding of a sentence.

Academic publishing is complex, and technology is providing researchers with a range of new tools to help work more efficiently. Springwise has spotted a browser extension that automates citations and an algorithm that evaluates new research for its business potential.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Architecture

What do Plastic and Paint have in Common? Everything.

By Zarkon Group,29/04/2023

This article was written by Burgess Brown. Healthy Materials Lab is a design research lab at Parsons School of Design with a mission to place health at the center of every design decision. HML is changing the future of the built environment by creating resources for designers, architects, teachers, and students to make healthier places for all people to live. Check out their podcast, Trace Material.

We’ve got good news and bad news. Let’s start with the bad. We are dealing with a well-documented plastics problem that is choking our planet and infecting our bodies. This is not news. But, there is new evidence of an under-reported key player in our plastics crisis: paint.

Thanks to tireless advocacy work over the last decade, many of us are familiar with the concept of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paints and the threat they pose to our bodies and the planet. We are now spoilt for choice when it comes to low and no-VOC paint options, even at big box stores. This is progress, no doubt, but VOCs are only one of the dangers of paint, and it’s vital that we once again reconsider how we make and use paint.

Environmentalists filter the microplastic waste contaminated with the seaside sand.

The vast majority of paints currently used in our homes, offices, and schools across the country (where we spend 90% of our time) are acrylic based —sometimes called “acrylic latex.” These paints are popular for a good reason. They are affordable, they dry quickly, and once dry, are water resistant. These characteristics are achieved because, at its core, acrylic latex paint is pigment suspended in liquid plastic. The plastic binders and additives found in acrylic latex paint are often toxic to humans and our environment. Some concerning additives are alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs)— a group of chemicals combined in acrylic paint for viscosity that are suspected endocrine disruptors, leading to hormonal dysfunction in humans and animals, and the disruption of marine life. Our widespread use of acrylic latex paint has created interior environments wrapped in toxic plastic bubbles.

Remember, good news is coming (spoiler: there are alternatives to plastic paint)… but first a bit more of the bad. Beyond the immediate threats to the health of building occupants, plastic paints, which never biodegrade, pose a host of dangers to humans, animals, sealife and the environment once their useful life is over. A recent study released by Environmental Action, a Swiss-based scientific research firm of world-renowned experts on plastic pollution, has revealed that our understanding of paint’s role in plastic pollution was dramatically underestimated.

The study finds that paint is the leading source of microplastics in our oceans and waterways.

12th Century Lime Paint Detail, Church in Store Heddinge, Denmark, 2018. Photo by J.Ruth

According to Environmental Action, an astounding 58% of microplastics in oceans and waterways began their life as paint. While some of this paint comes from sectors like the automotive industry or road markings, the largest single contribution comes from the architecture sector, which makes up 48% of pollution. Plastic particles have contaminated the entire planet and are wreaking havoc on ecosystems. New research has revealed a plastic-induced illness in seabirds dubbed ‘plasticosis,’ and microplastics were detected in the blood of 80% of participants in a recent study. The issue is acute, the need to replace petroleum-based paints is urgent, and the architecture industry must take action.

We promised some good news and here it is: healthier paint alternatives exist, and have for centuries! Mineral, clay, and plant-based paints are now readily available. Although transitioning to these paints sometimes requires slightly different installation and practices, it’s an easy learning curve. These paints can be used in interior and exterior applications and can be a superior option to minimize mold, without the addition of problematic additives. Unlike acrylic paints that lightly coat a wall surface, mineral paints penetrate into porous surfaces, which means they will be significantly more durable. Mineral paints, like lime paints for example, have a long history that weave through diverse cultures. Minerals are abundant — limestone makes up 10% of the earth’s crust — and modern technology has made mineral paints more durable than ever.

Lime Paint Color Swatches at KALK in Denmark, 2018. Photo by J.Ruth

In our research at Healthy Materials Lab, we have rigorously investigated and installed some of these plastic paint alternatives that are part of our meticulously vetted materials collection. These products not only avoid VOCs and other hazardous additives, they help to make healthier interiors by absorbing impurities from the air, actively improving indoor air quality.

Romabio employs an ancient recipe based on lime and offers both interior and exterior paints. The exterior paint is known for its superior coverage on brick, stucco and other porous surfaces. Some water is added to the lime pigment in the bucket before painting, reducing the weight of the paint during transportation. We painted our offices over five years ago and even after scrubbing scuff marks, it still looks fantastic.

Keim Paints, made from potassium silicate minerals, another abundant mineral class, offer a low-embodied carbon option that is free of plasticizers or preservatives. Just one coat of primer and one coat of paint provides enough coverage and is high-performing on a range of surfaces. Reducing the number of paint coats reduces the upfront costs, making it an affordable option. Beyond their health benefits, mineral paints are beautiful! They interact with light in a totally different way than synthetics, refracting it across spaces and creating warmth and brightness.

Lime-Painted Ceiling by Salty Labs, Pedagogy ike Shop NYC, 2022. Photo by Annie Schlecter

Real Milk Paint Co. offers a paint made from, you guessed it, milk (protein) along with lime, clay and earth pigments. It comes as a powder to be mixed with water in desired quantity. Less water creates an opaque coating and more water creates a transparent coating.

It’s important to note that, when it comes to healthier materials, labels can be deceiving. Some acrylic paints may contain trace amounts of minerals and be marketed as “mineral paints.” By the same token, some “mineral paints” can contain trace amounts of plastic polymers. Full ingredient transparency is a cornerstone of material health, as is practical patience when it comes to the transition away from petroleum based products. It may not always be possible to avoid acrylic paint altogether, but we have the option to dramatically reduce our consumption. In our materials collection, you’ll find some ‘less harmful’ plastic paint—although we strongly recommend avoiding them. Acrylic latex paint is often the first choice in many projects and low or zero VOC options are available. We acknowledge that this is a good first step to take.

Whenever possible, we encourage a consideration of the entire lifecycle of paint. According to the Environmental Action study, 33% of the total paint used in the Architectural sector will eventually end up in the environment. If that paint is made of plastic, it will end up clogging our waterways, infecting animals, and appearing in our bodies. If we opt for healthier alternatives, the paint will return to the earth as it came. That is better for all of us.

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, learn more about Architizer’s Vision Awards. The Early Entry Deadline on May 5th is fast approaching. Start your entry today >

Reference

Minimal interiors of forest retreat designed by Norm Architects

Interior Design

Eight pared-back and elegant Scandinavian kitchen designs

By Zarkon Group,29/04/2023

For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight peaceful kitchens with Scandinavian design details, in homes including a chalet in Belgium and a forest retreat in Sweden.

Plenty of wood and stone, minimalist details and practical solutions make these eight interiors from across the world good examples of Scandinavian kitchen design.

As well as being stylish, the pared-down interiors make for functional, clutter-free kitchens where it is easy to find and use all the items needed to make a meal in a relaxing atmosphere.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring outdoor showers, interiors with exposed services and Milanese homes with eye-catching material palettes.

Forest Retreat, Sweden, by Norm Architects

Architecture studio Norm Architects designed this kitchen in a traditional Swedish timber cabin using oakwood to create a warm feel.

Its discrete handleless low-lying cupboards have plenty of storage space, while a stone splashback is both decorative and functional. A black tap adds graphic contrast.

Find out more about Forest Retreat ›

Kitchen and living room in Villa E by CF Møller Architects — Photo by Julian Weyer

Villa E, Denmark, by CF Møller Architects

A carved lightwell brings light into this sundrenched kitchen in a villa in Denmark. The brick tiles that clad the kitchen wall give the room a tactile feeling.

The floor of the open-plan kitchen is made from herringbone parquet, a style often seen in living room that here gives the kitchen area a more luxurious feel.

Find out more about Villa E ›

Kitchen by Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor — Photo by Jesper Westblom

Stockholm apartment, Sweden, by Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor

This Stockholm flat might be the exception that proves the rule when it comes to Scandinavian kitchen design – that it has to be designed using discrete colours and materials.

Instead, local studio Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor chose a pale lilac hue for the kitchen, which nevertheless features wooden details in the form of a table and chairs. An orange pendant light contrasts nicely with the monochrome kitchen.

Find out more about Stockholm apartment ›

Vipp V2 kitchen — Photo by Anders Schønnemann

Vipp Pencil Factory, Denmark, by Vipp

Danish homeware brand Vipp used one of its own modular kitchens for Vipp Pencil Factory, a pop-up supper club in Copenhagen.

The dark-brown wood, commonly used in Scandinavian kitchens, contrasts against the grey concrete walls of the former pencil factory and is complimented by glass cabinets and a marble benchtop.

Find out more about Vipp Pencil Factory ›

Habima Square apartment by Maayan Zusman — Photo by Itay Benit

Habima Square apartment, Israel, by Maayan Zusman

Local designer Maayan Zusman renovated this apartment in Tel Aviv using plenty of Scandinavian brands and details, including lamps by Gubi and chairs by Ferm Living.

A pared-back colour palette and Crittal windows that let the light in also give the kitchen a slightly industrial feel.

Find out more about Stockholm apartment ›

House BL, Belgium — Photo by Jeroen Verrecht

Chalet, Belgium, by Graux & Baeyens Architecten

This 1960s chalet in Belgium features light-filled living spaces, including a wood-and-stone kitchen that has plenty of storage spaces and large windows that open up towards a lush garden.

Even the kitchen fan has a plywood cover to ensure it matches the rest of the space.

Find out more about the Belgian chalet ›

Saltviga House by Kolman Boye Architects — Photo by Johan Dehlin

Saltviga House, Norway, by Kolman Boye Architects

Nicknamed the “house of offcuts” because it has a facade made of offcuts of wooden flooring material, this weekend retreat in Lillesand, Norway, has a kitchen with a view.

The Scandinavian kitchen design is underlined by the use of Danish furniture brand Carl Hansen & Søn’s classic CH24 Wishbone chairs, which have been placed around a wooden dining table.

Find out more about Saltviga House ›

The Hat House by Tina Bergman — Photo by Jim Stephenson

The Hat House, Sweden, by Tina Bergman

Located in the forested landscape of Tänndalen in western Sweden, The Hat House has a traditional Swedish kitchen with an entirely wood-lined interior.

To save space, a small floating shelf was used to provide open storage, rather than cupboards. Contrasting dark black and grey colours were used for the splashback as well as the kitchen island.

Find out more about The Hat House ›

Reference

Sustainable News

Fabric products made from banana fibres

By Zarkon Group,28/04/2023

Spotted: As innovators create new sustainable fibres, the options available to those working in the fashion industry are expanding, making it easier to design and produce products with lower carbon footprints. The new fabrics are exciting, bringing with them increased options and challenges for designers. Additionally, many of the companies behind the latest offerings have broader social goals embedded into their working philosophy.

Uganda’s Mawejje Creations, for instance, is a socially minded company that produces textiles made from waste banana plants, fabric offcuts, secondhand clothes, and organic cotton. The business’s Commune Fabric is made for use in fashion and consists entirely of banana crop biowaste. Much like hemp, when grown as part of a sustainable, mixed agricultural crop, the banana plant requires little to no maintenance, making it an excellent replacement for water-heavy cotton crops.

Easily grown in Uganda, the banana plant requires no fertiliser or pesticides, and the production process of the fibres ensures that the final fabric is chemical-free. Mawejje Creations also trains young people in the fabric production process and encourages local farmers to use sustainable methods for the highest quality plants. Importantly, part of the training process includes learning certain styles of weaving as a means of preserving and passing along some of the area’s heritage skills.

The banana plant is proving to be extremely useful, with Springwise spotting innovations that include leather made from banana fibre and a banana-based growth enhancer being used to reduce chemical use in industrial production processes.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Architecture

20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador

By Zarkon Group,28/04/2023

Ecuador’s architecture is a melting pot of cultures, traditions and rhythms. Home to incredible ethnic diversity, its architecture reflects the same hybridity of its population. Traversing the nation, the most commonly encountered architectural style is the Spanish colonial. And the capital city, Quito, is a prime example. As a former administrative center for the Spanish Empire, Quito is flooded with Baroque churches and neoclassical buildings. Conversely, in Guayaquil, a massive fire left very few traces of the Spanish, and today has given way to a modern architectural expression.

And the spirit of today’s Ecuadorian architects can be characterized by their welcoming of international trends and deep respect for the land – producing a sensitive yet exploratory architectural language.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Ecuador based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Ecuador architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 20 best architecture firms in Ecuador:

20. Edwin Hurtado + Holger Cuadrado Arquitectura

Holger Cuadrado Arquitectura, is an architecture and landscape studio-workshop, which focuses its activities from the practice of the project and from the academy, understood as two necessary dimensions for the construction of knowledge.

Some of Edwin Hurtado + Holger Cuadrado Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Edwin Hurtado + Holger Cuadrado Arquitectura achieve 20th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

19. Juan Tohme

An architectural study that aims to respond and act on the needs of a city and architecture without reflection through new design methodologies based on the architectural discipline itself

Some of Juan Tohme’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Juan Tohme achieve 19th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

18. Leppanen + Anker Arquitectura

Leppanen +Anker Arquitectura is an Architecture office founded by Aaron Leppanen and Gabriela Anker in Quito Ecuador. Leppanen+Anker Arquitectura has worked across multiple scales, programs and cultures. Leppanen+Anker Arquitectura has a strong interest in developing spatial experiences through a merger of contextual, cultural, sustainable and formal influences. Leppanen+Anker Arquitectura has a diverse background with experience in Residential, Commercial, Cultural, Educational and Health Care projects both in the public and private sectors. The office is located in Quito, Ecuador.

Some of Leppanen + Anker Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Leppanen + Anker Arquitectura achieve 18th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	2

17. Siente Espacios

Siente Espacios is an architecture studio based in Guayaquil that seeks to generate experiences beyond traditional spaces, always offering practicality and connections with nature.

Some of Siente Espacios’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Siente Espacios achieve 17th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	2

16. ADAPTA

ADAPTA is an office/workshop dedicated to non-conventional methods of construction and design. The firm specializes in architecture and industrial design.

Some of ADAPTA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ADAPTA achieve 16th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

15. Jannina Cabal Arquitectos

The Jannina Cabal & Arquitectos studio was founded in 2003, after 4 years of work and various experiences as an architect in construction companies and architectural consulting studios. The members of our office are young architects with a lot of creativity and energy. Currently, the study has a work team of 10 architects, specialized in different areas, as well as a group of consultants in support engineering. In large numbers today, very varied residential projects, urban and commercial projects are developed throughout the country.

Some of Jannina Cabal Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Jannina Cabal Arquitectos achieve 15th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

14. Roberto Burneo – arquitectos

Roberto Burneo is the principle at Roberto Burneo – arquitectos, an Ecuador-based design firm. Roberto Burneo specializes in residential architecture.

Some of Roberto Burneo – arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Roberto Burneo – arquitectos achieve 14th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	4

13. arquitectura x

arquitectura x is a Quito-based design firm ran by award-winning architects Adrian Moreno and María Samaniego. The firm designs for the private, public and civic sector.

Some of arquitectura x’s most prominent projects include:

Las Naves Courthouse, Las Naves, Ecuador
RI HOUSE, Diffuse Borders, Tumbaco, Metropolitan District of Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
Icono Building, Permeable Living, Quito, Ecuador

The following statistics helped arquitectura x achieve 13th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Total Projects	3

12. Emilio López Arquitecto

‘I live in Ecuador, a territory with one of the greatest biodiversity in the world, so its geography, plants, climates and cultures are great stimuli for me, and with architecture this possibility of immersion and mixture with the environment appears: the letting oneself be transformed by the other, from that envelope where the limit is suspended. Therein lies the strength of architecture, the product of the immersive affectation that comes with rethinking our relationship with resources and with the world in which we live.

I think of architecture as an open process, and always changing based on new demands, which are updated by experience like that of the Cocoon: a transitory envelope, in which the transition of the worm is expressed, its state between , of suspended existence or even shared. Therein lies its strength for change and creativity.

Some of Emilio López Arquitecto’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Emilio López Arquitecto achieve 12th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	1

11. Estudio Felipe Escudero

Founded by Ecuadorian architect Felipe Escudero in 2012, studio FE is an innovative firm focused on design, business tactics, and experiential innovation. We design urban strategies and architectural solutions by redefining challenging conditions as design opportunities. Collaborating with experts from all fields, we develop custom-made experiences for each one of our clients and end users.

Felipe escudero’s work is driven by his interest in becoming aware through the senses and by his drive to make the concerns of art relevant to society at large. Rather than identifying with any particular style or aesthetic, his work is best characterized by its working methodology as crucial means for turning thinking into doing.

Some of Estudio Felipe Escudero’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Estudio Felipe Escudero achieve 11th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	4

10. Sebastian Calero

© Daniel Moreno Flores, Sebastian Calero

Sebastian Calero Larrea is an architect based in Quito, Ecuador. The designer’s portfolio showcases several residential projects.

Some of Sebastian Calero’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Sebastian Calero achieve 10th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

9. Studio Alfa

Some of Studio Alfa’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Studio Alfa achieve 9th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

8. URLO Studio

URLO Studio is a family of nonconformist, pragmatic, visionary, and innovative professionals who seek to set a turning point in the development of the city, always through coherent and rigorous ideas and designs that range from the architectural detail, to the broader urban scale.

Some of URLO Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped URLO Studio achieve 8th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

7. Al Borde arquitectos

Al Borde (2007), architecture firm based in Quito, Ecuador. Formed by David Barragán, Pascual Gangotena, Maríaluisa Borja and Esteban Benavides. It inhabits the territory of questioning, where certainties about what architecture should or should not be are under constant construction. Its ideas are developed in the making, and with greater precision and detail on site.

It pursues an architecture whose aesthetics is conscious of the energy expended in construction, seemingly effortless, where the way materials joined together is clear and logical. An architecture opens to the active participation of users in the design and construction process, where everyone can see the problem solved, with no more pretensions to address the project demands. The design faces the sustainability of life as the center of the discussion (resources, co-responsibility, consumption, gender, and social inequality).

It builds with the resources and techniques of the place, where the territory is always a particular and unique variable, the projects become an x-ray of the site, which speak of the customs of the people, their history, their problems, and needs. The diversity of the projects represents the people’s willingness to engage with ideas, taking risks, and participation in decision-making.

Some of Al Borde arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Nueva Esperanza School, Manabi, Ecuador
Bricks, Blocks & Other Abandoned Elements / Patches, Mocha, Ecuador
Casa Culunco, Tumbaco, Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
Última Esperanza, Cabuyal, Ecuador
Esperanza Dos, Cabuyal, Ecuador

The following statistics helped Al Borde arquitectos achieve 7th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	7

6. Diez + Muller Arquitectos

Diez + Muller Arquitectos is led by Gonzalo Diez and Felipe Muller. They understand architecture as an intellectual response to a requirement that can vary in scale and function. Any architectural intervention is the answer to a problem, regardless of whether it is a house in the country or a building in the city. This intellectual response is given depending on the environment, the peculiarity of the place where it is implanted, the use, the economy, etc. Therefore, his attitude is based on giving a balanced response between these factors, it being essential that in each project there is a sensitive component, generator of emotions, since this is what will give a further meaning to architecture.

Some of Diez + Muller Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

2V House, Quito, Ecuador
Tumbaco Cabins, Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
Los Chillos House, Via A Los Chillos, Quito, Ecuador
Puente Bridge House, Quito, Ecuador
URBAN -A, Quito, Ecuador

The following statistics helped Diez + Muller Arquitectos achieve 6th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	12

5. Diego Guayasamin

Diego Guayasamin Arquitectos is an Ecuador-based architecture firm led by Diego Guayasamin. The firm specializes in commercial and residential architecture.

Some of Diego Guayasamin’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Diego Guayasamin achieve 5th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	4

4. NAJAS ARQUITECTOS

NAJAS ARQUITECTOS is an architecture design firm located in Quito-Ecuador that provides streamlined consulting, architectural, engineering and construction services for all typologies and scale.

Since 2006 we have had a very strong commitment with architecture design thru a very deep relationship with our clients and the environment. On each stage of design and during the construction process we search for a profound spatial and built quality that allow us to develop a coherent and creative architectural vocabulary in search for the high values of our profession.

Some of NAJAS ARQUITECTOS’s most prominent projects include:

Casa Pillagua, Quito, Ecuador
Mezze 2 House, Quito, Ecuador
Alambique House, Quito, Ecuador
Residencia Mezze, Quito, Ecuador
House Towards The River, Quito, Ecuador

The following statistics helped NAJAS ARQUITECTOS achieve 4th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	11

3. Daniel Moreno Flores

Artist, innovator, designer and craftsman, Daniel Moreno Flores has been working in architecture for over a decade. Practicing the profession independently, the architect has formed a network in both Ecuador and Argentina. Daniel Moreno Flores is interested in the processes of experimental design, inquiry into structural forms, collective work for social cohesion through the appropriation of public space and the construction of infrastructure after the 2016 Ecuador earthquake.

Some of Daniel Moreno Flores’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Daniel Moreno Flores achieve 3rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	4

2. odd+ architects

We are a group of highly skilled architects, planners, and creatives. we are innate problem solvers, dedicated to making the physical world a more habitable place. We work at every scale– from design to execution. We are inspired by nature, incorporating its systems and processes into our work– aiming for a healthier coexistence. We learn through history, science, and precedents– developing new design techniques for the improvement of humankind. We confront and question the norm– creating state-of-the-art design solutions. Together we help our clients solve their most complex challenges; together we harness our diverse ingenuity to make projects that are fantastical, affordable, buildable, and beautiful.

Some of odd+ architects’s most prominent projects include:

A House in the Andes, Ecuador
the ANTI-KIOSK, Quito, Ecuador
MIG 1.0, Quito, Ecuador
odD House 1.0, Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador
Hampton, Catalina de Aldaz & Avenida Portugal, Bellavista, Quito, Ecuador

The following statistics helped odd+ architects achieve 2nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	6

1. Natura Futura Arquitectura

Base in Babahoyo, Ecuador, Natura Futura Arquitectura explores issues and themes in architecture within a Latin American context. The firm’s portfolio consists of various community-based and public projects.

Some of Natura Futura Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The Little Atelier, Ecuador
El Triangulo de las Verduras; Productive Community Greenhouse, Quito, Ecuador
The House that Habitate, Babahoyo, Ecuador
The Tea Room, Baba Canton, Los Rios, Ecuador
Asadero Popular ¨Rico Pollo¨, Babahoyo, Ecuador

The following statistics helped Natura Futura Arquitectura achieve 1st place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador:

Featured Projects	18
Total Projects	18

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “”+”” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

Reference

Minimalist living room inside House by the Sea by Of Architecture

Interior Design

Of Architecture builds beachside home for surfer-and-artist couple

By Zarkon Group,28/04/2023

London practice Of Architecture has used a fuss-free colour and material palette to create this understated home for a young couple in the town of Newquay in Cornwall.

House by the Sea belongs to an artist and a surfer, who told Of Architecture that they wanted a home without extravagant finishes, instead preferring a living space that appears “simple, robust and utilitarian”.

Though the brief was relatively straightforward, erecting the home proved tricky for the practice.

“The house is located by the cliff side of Pentire peninsula and has a very steep driveway, so transporting material was a big challenge for everyone on site,” the Of Architecture co-founder James Mak told Dezeen.

“We had to work with materials that could be carried by a small vehicle or by hand.”

Once the framework was in place, the house was finished with a “monolithic and modest” lime plaster facade.

Key rooms were dispersed across the home’s open-plan first floor, where walls are almost exclusively painted an off-white shade.

Prefabricated staircase inside House by the Sea by Of Architecture — Prefabricated steps grant access to a cosy mezzanine

In one corner is the kitchen, which features black melamine plywood cabinetry and a large breakfast island topped with stainless steel.

Overhead hangs a couple of industrial-style pendant lamps.

Adjacently lies a sitting area that directly overlooks Newquay’s picturesque Pentire Steps beach.

Fronted by expansive sliding windows, the space is dressed with a classic Eames lounge chair and an L-shaped sofa upholstered in beige marl fabric.

Another sitting area lies towards the rear of the first floor, facing a concrete blockwork wall.

Backed against the wall is a wood burner with a tall slender flue that stretches up to meet the four-metre-high ceiling.

Prefabricated plywood steps lead up to a mezzanine level tucked beneath the home’s sloping roof, which is held up by steel beams.

Intended to serve as a cosy retreat, the space is illuminated by a single skylight while artworks are casually leaned up against its walls and books are showcased on a wrap-around gridded shelf.

The minimalist aesthetic of the first floor then carries over onto the home’s ground floor, which accommodates two guest bedrooms – complete with their own en suites – a cloakroom and a utility room.

House by the Sea by Of Architecture — Rooms on the home’s ground floor are also pared back

A number of other architecturally striking homes can be found along the British coast.

Examples include RX Architects’ Seabreeze in East Sussex, which is coated in smooth pink concrete, and Mole Architects’ Marsh Hill House in Suffolk, which is shaped like a seagull’s wing.

The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

Reference

OTO chair by Alessandro Stabile and Martinelli Venezia for One to One

Sustainable News

OTO chair by One to One

By Zarkon Group,28/04/2023

Dezeen Showroom: sustainability-focused Italian furniture brand One to One has launched the OTO chair, designed by Alessandro Stabile and Martinelli Venezia to be a “manifesto of circular design”.

Stabile and Venezia created the recycled plastic OTO chair with the goal of achieving full sustainability, not just in material choices but in the supply chain.

“From the beginning, we realised that using recycled materials was not enough,” said Stabile and Venezia. “We had to think about something that would systematise the entire sustainable supply chain, from production to logistics, distribution and assembly, to stimulate the public with a product capable of activating a new awareness.”

The resulting OTO chair is produced using a single mould, and it is sold online and delivered direct to consumers flatpacked.

In the making of OTO, One to One collaborated with Ogyre — which runs the Fishing for Litter platform, allowing any fisherman to contribute to collecting marine waste for reuse. Each OTO chair removes 500 grams of plastic from the sea, according to the brand.

The OTO chair comes in six colours: onyx, fog, mustard, eucalyptus, coral and forest.

Product: OTO
Designer: Alessandro Stabile and Martinelli Venezia
Brand: One to One
Contact: [email protected]

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email [email protected].

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

Reference

Sustainable News

A platform brings together stakeholders in waste management

By Zarkon Group,27/04/2023

Spotted: In 2020, 4.8 tonnes of waste were generated per inhabitant in the European Union, and the volume of waste we generate as a global – and increasingly consumer – population is only growing. Recycling rates are not keeping up with current rates of waste production, with a lot of waste ending up either incinerated or dumped in landfill. To help end this unsustainable waste treatment, Netherlands-based startup Seenons has created a platform that connects everyone in the waste chain to help reduce rubbish, salvage valuable raw materials, and stimulate a circular economy.

Seenons combines clean technology and smart logistics in its tech platform, connecting organisations that separate waste, logistics companies that transport it, and processors and producers who use the scraps to manufacture new usable materials and products. The platform matches waste with a suitable processor, who then turns it into a new product, green electricity, or biogas. For example, coffee residues can be repurposed into soap, or used as raw material to grow oyster mushrooms.

Seenons’ website and app allow businesses to arrange for their waste to be collected efficiently and sustainably with the click of a button. Users can manage and track their waste easily with Seenons and see the positive impact they’ve made in a personalised dashboard.

The company recently raised €10 million in a recent investment round, which will be used to further develop its platform internationally and improve its technology.

Springwise has spotted many innovations that better manage waste, including houses that are made using waste from rice production, and an app that helps families minimise the food that ends up in kitchen bins.

Written By: Anam Alam

Reference

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Eight pared-back and elegant Scandinavian kitchen designs

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20 Best Architecture Firms in Ecuador

How are these architecture firms ranked?

20. Edwin Hurtado + Holger Cuadrado Arquitectura

19. Juan Tohme

18. Leppanen + Anker Arquitectura

17. Siente Espacios

16. ADAPTA

15. Jannina Cabal Arquitectos

14. Roberto Burneo – arquitectos

13. arquitectura x

12. Emilio López Arquitecto

11. Estudio Felipe Escudero

10. Sebastian Calero

9. Studio Alfa

8. URLO Studio

7. Al Borde arquitectos

6. Diez + Muller Arquitectos

5. Diego Guayasamin

4. NAJAS ARQUITECTOS

3. Daniel Moreno Flores

2. odd+ architects

1. Natura Futura Arquitectura

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

A Guide to Project Awards

Of Architecture builds beachside home for surfer-and-artist couple

OTO chair by One to One

A platform brings together stakeholders in waste management

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