AL BORDE

Al Borde (Malu Borja, David Barragán, Esteban Benavides, Pascual Gangotena) was founded in 2007. The team from Ecuador impresses with its poetic interpretation of the constructive foundations of building. They analyze needs, design financing concepts and implement products. High-quality architecture in Ecuador can only be created by architects with a great sense of commitment.

Al Borde is a collaborative and experimental architectural study that focuses on solving real needs on the basis of available material, being this social or physical. As the 'bricoleur' ​​in the mind of French anthropologist Levi Strauss, the group works with what it has at its disposal, re-combining the pre-existing in a basic, logical, simple way, without prejudice. The work is done from the specific complexity of the problem but with a holistic perspective, an exploration that has led interdisciplinary collaborations with musicians, artists, performers, designers, publicists, etc. The strength of their buildings lies in their pojectual ability to combine objective architectural responses to subjective user perceptions resulting in hybrid constructive systems that combines the traditional with the contemporary, also integrating the management of social and community energy to carry out their work.

David Barragán and Pascual Gangotena, who founded the studio in 2007 in Quito, now joined Marialuisa Borja and Esteban Benavides. Al Borde has given lectures and workshops nationally and internationally and has received numerous awards and recognitions among which are:  Nominee Schelling Architecture Prize 2012, Germany / Nominee Iakov Chernikhov International Prize for Young Architects 2012, Russia / “Taller Particular”, Honorable Mention, 6th International Architecture Festival in Barcelona EME3 - Spain, 2011 / Al Borde, architectural merit "Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras ", the highest honor awarded by the College of Architects of Celaya, Mexico, 2010 / “Nueva Esperanza” School, Official Selection Works, the highest honor awarded by the VII BIAU 2010, Medellin - Colombia, 2010 / House Between Walls , 20 +10 + X Architecture Award, World Architecture Community, Third Cycle 2009 / Pentimento House (Jose Maria Sáez and David Barragán), Award for Best Young Architect, VI BIAU 2008, Lisbon, Portugal, 2008 and the National Architectural Design Award, XV BAQ 2006, Quito - Ecuador, 2006 / “Compartiendo cielo y tierra”, People Cityscape, David Barragan, Gold Medal - Final Year Project, XV BAQ 2006, Quito - Ecuador, 2006.