Apartment Building Zambeze

Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea

APARTMENT BUILDING ZAMBEZE

Juan Pablo Ribadeneira Mora

PHOTOGRAPHS
Lorena Darquea

LOCATION
Miravalle, Quito 170136, Ecuador

CATEGORY
Residential

CONSTRUCTION
RFS Constructora

AREA
1500.0 m2

ARCHITECTS IN CHARGE
Juan Pablo Ribadeneira Mora

YEAR
2016

MANUFACTURERS
Aluminarq, Artisans Pifo, Avanti, Edesa, Eurogres, Gonzalo Maldonado, Highlight, Madeval, Noma, Novastarlak, Siente, Termikon, Terraforte

Text description provided by architect.

Zambeze is an apartment building with four living units. Designed for a family that required every unit to have similar interior and exterior areas.

Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea
Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea
Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea

That was resolved by placing one single apartment on the first floor, having open areas around it. As the building sits on a hill, the next two floors are occupied by two duplex units that have their exterior spaces on the back and sides of the lot.

Finally, the remaining unit located on the fourth floor, had its exterior space created by covering the terraces on the second floor of the two duplex apartments.

This creates a double story porch that is visible on the frontal facade.

Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea
Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea

The Miravalle area, where the building is located at, has the privileged views of the Cumbaya valley towards the East. This is why the frontal façade, which faces this direction, is very open, taking advantage of these views.

The structure of the building is made of cast-in-place concrete. Its columns, beams and ceilings are all exposed in the interior of the apartments.

Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea
Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea

Artisanal brick was used to build the perimeter of the building, which was left exposed in the interior and exterior walls.

Other materials used were wood for the screen that hides the vehicular access to the building and becomes an important element of the facade, and iron for the stairs of the duplex apartments and the hand railing of its terraces.

Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea
Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea

Important design details are the spaces creating tension on the side facades. These spaces help transition materials and divide volumes when they change in height.

These height variations happen as the building responds to the positive gradient of the hill. Other important aspects are the green and brick combination on the terraces. Said terraces were designed in such way to allow trees to grow in every level of the building.

Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea
Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea
Apartment Building Zambeze
© Lorena Darquea

Additionally, the side walls of the double story porches of the duplex apartments are made of artisanal brick. However, they are placed leaving spaces between them allowing more daylight in and, at the same time, giving privacy from its close neighbors.


Apartment Building Zambeze
Elevation
Apartment Building Zambeze
Elevation
Apartment Building Zambeze
Elevation
Apartment Building Zambeze
Elevation
Apartment Building Zambeze
Section


Apartment Building Zambeze
Situation
Apartment Building Zambeze
Sketch


Apartment Building Zambeze
Floor Plan
Apartment Building Zambeze
Floor Plan
Apartment Building Zambeze
Floor Plan
Apartment Building Zambeze
Floor Plan
Apartment Building Zambeze
Floor Plan

Juan Pablo Ribadeneira Mora
Isabel La Católica N24-430 Y Cordero, Ecuador