A 24-story, 100-meter mixed-use tower is set to rise in Quito, Ecuador, the greenest capital in South America.
The BIG-designed building, dubbed EPIQ, is located on the southern tip of La Carolina Park in the center of the city on a quarter-of-a-circle site across from the new Quito subway. The building was designed with rounded corners to allow for panoramic views of the city while minimizing impact from neighboring buildings to daylight exposure. This rounded corner design creates a facade that is a continuously wrapping envelope, meaning the building has no back side.
At EPIQ’s base a pedestrian through-block connection forms a new gateway to a nearby park and the recently completed subway. Also located at the base are offices, lobbies, retail, and a restaurant. The above floors house residential and amenity spaces.
See Also: New social campus for innovators, tech leaders covers a full city block
As the building rises, soft openings are carved into the building mass to create eight district blocks. These buildings within a building are all connected via large, communal green terraces at different elevations to create a vertical neighborhood. The terraces also allow daylight to permeate the entire building.
The building’s colors and patterns are reflective of the earth tones and herringbone pattern of the tiles seen throughout the streets of Quito’s Old City. The facade pattern is based on the scale of the individual apartments with red and pink hues that give each volume its own identity.
The project is currently in progress.
Related Stories
| Apr 28, 2023
$1 billion mixed-use multifamily development will add 1,200 units to South Florida market
A giant $1 billion residential project, The District in Davie, will bring 1.6 million sf of new Class A residential apartments to the hot South Florida market. Located near Ft. Lauderdale and greater Miami, the development will include 36,000 sf of restaurants and retail space. The development will also provide 1.1 million sf of access controlled onsite parking with 2,650 parking spaces.
Mixed-Use | Apr 27, 2023
New Jersey turns a brownfield site into Steel Tech, a 3.3-acre mixed-use development
In Jersey City, N.J., a 3.3-acre redevelopment project called Steel Tech will turn a brownfield site into a mixed-use residential high-rise building, a community center, two public plazas, and a business incubator facility. Steel Tech received site plan approval in recent weeks.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Urban Planning | Apr 17, 2023
The future of the 20-minute city
Gensler's Stacey Olson breaks down the pros and cons of the "20-minute city," from equity concerns to data-driven design.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 17, 2023
World's largest multifamily building pursuing ILFI Zero Carbon certification under construction in Washington, D.C.
The Douglass, in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8, is currently the largest multifamily housing project to pursue Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2023
Watch: Trends in urban design for 2023, with James Corner Field Operations
Isabel Castilla, a Principal Designer with the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, discusses recent changes in clients' priorities about urban design, with a focus on her firm's recent projects.
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Mixed-Use | Apr 7, 2023
New Nashville mixed-use high-rise features curved, stepped massing and wellness focus
Construction recently started on 5 City Blvd, a new 15-story office and mixed-use building in Nashville, Tenn. Located on a uniquely shaped site, the 730,000-sf structure features curved, stepped massing and amenities with a focus on wellness.
Affordable Housing | Mar 14, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that overcame building obstacles
These three developments faced certain obstacles during their building processes—from surrounding noise suppression to construction methodology.
