Zonal Administration
Kay Pacha Park - Equinoctial Strip
The project is located in "Middle of the World City", Ecuador. The location is an iconic place in the world with approximately 400 thousand visitors per year. The population of the surrounding area, which adds up to 32 thousand inhabitants, unfortunately lacks facilities since most of the resources are directed to tourism. In order to promote the personal development of the members of this community, we propose improvements in the education and professional training team. The investigation has revealed that more than 80% of the investment of the parish is destined to the management and construction of private projects, there are very low levels of agreement with the administrative representatives. In addition, the parish is located 20 km from the closest zonal administration, the coverage rates for basic services is low.
As such, the objective is to create a zonal administration based on the decentralization model of the Metropolitan District of Quito, this will help not only the parish but also the surrounding territories that currently must travel several kilometers to fulfill their responsibilities and demand citizen services.
The proposal includes an architectural detail based on pure forms: discreet on the outside but full of surprise and movement on the inside, being a nod to the environment where it is located.
The architectural implementation corresponds to the near and far external conditions in the landscape, rather than just the general urban structure and the connections with other neighboring structures. This project begins in a process of addition and not of subtraction. It brings together a series of obvious singularities (related to the environment) to produce a totality not evident in the face of an excessive expansion of elements.
All this constitutes a strategy to create a connection with the area through a constant circulation through it (related to the Equator Line). There are, of course, views of urban objects (like the Middle of the World Monument) but, at the same time, the real determinants are larger, timeless and universal objects, like the sunrise and sunset points over the hills, at 360 degrees. View of the sky, and the geographic diversity of the city and its surroundings.
The structure includes two parts: a substructure that employs foundation beams chosen due to the low bearing capacity of the soil in the area; and a superstructure that uses steel beams and columns, since these metallic elements will provide great flexibility and versatility for the construction of spaces of up to four heights.
Considering that the area is prone to telluric activity, shear walls were chosen for stairs and elevators. Furthermore, since most of the buildings would be at least partially underground, retaining walls with a concrete finish were used to ensure the safety of the building against earth pressure. They can also be considered aesthetic elements
The second block is an administration whose program returns the power of decision to the local people and enhances the vocations of the site, so that both public servants and the community feel the space is theirs. This zonal administration has all the departments that the municipality of Quito raises for a correct attention to the needs of the population, but at the same time it is a building that, due to its shape, connects the community with its surroundings, its history, integrates into a The same space for civic activities and knowledge of the tourist landmarks of the region, but the most important thing relates to public servants with all the activities that the parish and its people have.
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On the first floor, service areas are located as a point of payment and collection of documents, auditoriums and multiple-use rooms, areas where the community is informed about the administration's projects and an account is given of the resources that are have been used in community projects.
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At the second level there are participatory offices where the community can be part of the gestation of the projects in addition to the different departments such as the judicial and financial departments that provide the population with advice for the development of their own projects. On the third floor is the area of the private offices of the zonal administration and there is a relationship with the environment of the parish (visual).
Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.
Titling project.
Student: Byron Cadena.
Tutor: Manuel Uribe.
September 2017. Middle of the World City, Quito, Ecuador.