Gaia Building, Ecuador
Completed at the end of 2016, the Gaia Building has been heralded as a new landmark for the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. Designed by Leppanen + Anker Arquitectos, the building uses an innovative moulded façade system.
Creating 15,000 sq. m of mixed-use space, and topped with a large roof garden, the 15-storey tower provides a combination of commercial, office and residential units.
The building uses a repeating pattern to reduce the number of moulds used in forming the distinctive glass fibre reinforced concrete (GFRC) façade.
The benefits of this sinuous façade material include the efficiency and ease of its installation. A system of adjustable metallic connections allows easy alignment of the complex forms, and the 4m panels can be reused.
As the first new construction in the neighbourhood, the intention behind the design was to combine diverse elements to produce a ‘play of light and shadow of the surroundings’. Carved around the perimeter are deep balconies, intended to help reduce solar gain allow large glazing sections to be used without reducing the efficiency of the passively-controlled internal spaces.
[All images © Sebastián Crespo]
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
CIOB signs up to Green Skills At Cop campaign
In preparation for COP29 on 11 Novermebr in Azerbaijan.
2024 ECA Industry Awards evening
Full list of electrical contractors scooping top prizes.
Briefing on the implications of the final Grenfell inquiry report
What it means for Architectural Technology professionals.
CIOB Art of Building photo contest 2024
International showcase for the very best photography of the built environment.
Celebrating architecture's eloquent champions.
Unusual perspectives on 1960s’ thinking.
AI and the challenges to intellectual property
The legal landscape of adopting AI now and in the future.
Worrying landscape for Welsh construction SMEs revealed.
In recent risk factor analysis report completed by CIOB.
Construction Sport survey highlights risks of dehydration
Supporting construction workers to avoid dangers.
Can your business afford to ignore mental well-being?
£70 - 100 billion annually in UK construction sector.
Mental health in the construction industry
World Mental Health Day 10 October.
Construction awards provide relief in wake of ISG collapse
Spike in major infrastructure awards, housing up but short of targets, are ISG collapse impacts yet to come.
Biodiversity net gain with related updates and terms
Only 0.5% of applications subject to BNG in the context significant proposed changes to planning.
As political power has shifted from blue to red
Has planning now moved from brown to green?
The role of construction in tackling the biodiversity crisis
New CIOB Nature of Building digital series available now.