PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The design approach taken was to respond to the site in a variety of methods. Traditional architectural styles, site conditions, materiality and local construction methods were essential in the development of this design.
Through research and observations of traditional methods, they appear to be based on a scale of construction achievable through limited manpower and access to high-tech equipment or facilities. As a result, a tendency for simple forms and shared spaces was appropriate, with a strong emphasis on community living. There is also a strong requirement for peaked roofs in response to the heavy patterns of precipitation. These factors are reflected in the simple building forms and peaked roofs found throughout the proposed design. Difficult site conditions were countered through the traditional elevation of buildings with timber stilts. This allows for both ventilation of the inside spaces and drainage of the excess water from the hills above.
Our design process took into consideration the methods of construction and transportation that appeared to be prevalent in this part of Ecuador. Construction methods that could be undertaken by a small group of individuals were valued above different methods that might have resulted in excessive planning and cost for transportation and assembly.
These chosen methods of construction also in some part informed the distribution of program on the site. The small scale of the materials chosen for this proposed design will allow for phased construction if necessary. The three main areas of the program, the main office and education facilities, the tourist centre and auditorium, and the factory and sleeping quarters are separate enough to make them autonomous entities, but close enough to provide a richness of community space and interaction between the various staff and visitors to the site. The main office and the tourist facilities we placed close to the road for easy access by the public, while the factory was located on the predominantly flat areas of the site that would allow for a large, continuous facility that could be expanded at a later date. The pathway connecting these elements was oriented in such a way to reduce the effect of the slope on circulation.
The proposed design provides a facility that is sensitive to local influences and materials and construction, as well as a flexible layout that will allow for future expansion. The proposed design combines local methods and modern practices, which will benefit the client by providing a long-term facility that will become the seed for future growth.
Building materials proposed in the design:
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• Clay tile
• Stick frame construction
• Limited use of masonry
• Panelized glass
• Solar panels
• Timber stilts for elevating buildings
• Retaining walls for landscaping and drainage
• Stucco or appropriate local finishing methods
