Al Borde architects, known outside Latin America after Venice Biennale 2016, are based just north of the historic city of Quito.
An operational laboratory for office, home and airbnb spaces occupies a whole block, entered by a steep stair through a small door. Existing floors doors and roofs are cut in all possible formations and new created spaces filled and patched with reclaimed materials and self-made furniture.
Particularly memorable were
– a bath suspended from the ceiling, space above it enclosed with ex-office partitions from frosted glass
– the communal office kitchen with staff bedrooms in the attic above, accessed by individual cat ladders to each attic room
– Roof for the communal kitchen, entirely made from car tyres, which I was assured does not leak.
UISEK professor Nestor Llorca and myself joined al Borde for lunch in the architectural factory of coloured glass patches, resurrected homeware and self-cut concrete slabs. Due to busy conversations I only managed to make a few photographs when leaving.
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