MareNostrum Woongebouw by Aaron Leppanen and Gabriela Anker

MareNostrum Woongebouw by Aaron Leppanen and Gabriela Anker is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award in Zilver in Architectuur, Gebouwen en Constructieontwerp Competition Category.

ZilverArchitectuur· 2020

MareNostrum Woongebouw

by Aaron Leppanen and Gabriela Anker

Client: Romero & Pazmiño Ingeniería Inmobilaria

A' Design Award in Zilver Winner in Architectuur Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About MareNostrum Woongebouw

MareNostrum is een woongebouw van acht verdiepingen in Quito, Ecuador. De naam verwijst naar de Latijnse term voor onze zee, en de gevel herinterpreteert de beweging van de roeiriemen van de Romeinse vloten. De gebogen gevel vormt grote balkons die de binnenruimte naar buiten uitbreiden. Uitgesneden hoeken overspannen twee verdiepingen, bieden schaduw tegen de zon en creëren plekken waar buren elkaar kunnen ontmoeten. Het gebouw omvat suites, appartementen met twee en drie slaapkamers en lofts, met een lounge en groene ruimtes op het terras. Passieve strategieën zorgen voor natuurlijk licht en ventilatie.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Zilver

MareNostrum Woongebouw is winnaar van de A' Design Award in Zilver, een buitengewoon prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan topontwerpen die prachtig en indrukwekkend zijn. Winnaars in Zilver zijn enorm briljante en uiterst creatieve werken die de uitmuntende expertise, het talent en de scherpzinnigheid van hun ontwerpers illustreren. MareNostrum Woongebouw wordt verwacht een prachtig paradepaardje te zijn dat opmerkelijk professioneel en diepgaand innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in Zilver heeft gewonnen, is een hoogst opmerkelijke, bewonderde uitvinding die baat en de grenzen van kunst, wetenschap, ontwerp en technologie verlegt. MareNostrum Woongebouw is een zeer benijde creatie die verlangens oproept, positieve gevoelens brengt en verbazing en verwondering doet ontvlammen.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Throughout the 8 story residential building, the movement of the facade generates large balconies, which extends the interior space to the exterior. The form has passive sustainability strategies, such as ventilation and natural light. The volume of the building allows different types of apartments, suites, 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms and lofts. In addition, social spaces are created inside the building, such as a lounge and green areas on the terrace, to take advantage of the urban context.
Dimensions & Packaging: The building has 8 stories and 3 underground levels in a 1250 square meters lot. The total construction area is 8,800 square meters. The building has a reinforced concrete structure with steel deck floor plates.
Tags: Sea , Waves , Urban , Facade , Residential
Production Technology: The facade and the lobby have the same language in their design. However the facade was constructed with conventional masonry blocks and mortar. The lobby in contrast was built with a combination of digital fabrication and artisan work. The unique lobby forms were made with a cnc cut mdf structure and colorado wood panels cut by hand. The use of complementary digital and artisan construction techniques was key to attain such unconventional forms in a setting like Ecuador.
Design Challenge: The historical connection that the site of the project had with the sea inspired the form. The local construction technology however gave limitations on how this form would be attained. After evaluating different materials , the conventional masonry blocks and cement materials were used in a sculpted work with the local artisans to build the wave inspired facade. The combination of these curved walls and wooden accents below the cantilevered floor plate extensions created the desired volume.
Research: Our office research primarily focuses on form finding through organic efficiencies. Specifically varied repetition is of interest, looking for models of difference through a similar design process. The objective behind this research is to identify potential insights and techniques that can be implemented in our iterative design process. Methods include digital sketching in rhino and grasshopper and physical printed models. In the iterative process, experimentation is the most important aspect in the search for potential architectural solutions. These experiments are tested against the various project parameters, which could include; zoning, context, client preferences, marketing strategies, constructability and other conceptual criteria. The result of this process is constructible yet experimental design that has movement, emotion, repetition and a physical presence in our community.
Inspiration: The site of the project was named Mare Nostrum after an existing restaurant, whose latin meaning is our sea. The ancient Romans baptized what is now the Mediterranean Sea with this name. Inspired in this context, the movement that the oars of the fleets of the Roman Empire used centuries ago to protect their territories is reinterpreted on its facade. Reinforcing this concept an experience of movement is created for the users inside and outside the spaces.
Project Duration: The project started in 2016 and was completed in 2019 in Quito, Ecuador.
Operation Flow: The characteristic cutout corners, spanning over two levels, give the building a softer attitude. They also create spaces and opportunities for neighbors to interact with each other, between the balconies of differing depth.
The cutout corners also provide shade protecting from the hot Andean sun.
Team Members: Aaron Leppanen
Gabriela Anker
Sofía Chávez
Caroline Dieden
José Silva
Gabriela Valdéz Mena
Image Credits: BICUBIK