Al Borde
(Ecuador, 2007) Architecture firm founded by Pascual Gangotena (Quito, 1977), David Barragán (Quito, 1981), Marialuisa Borja (Quito, 1984), and Esteban Benavides (Quito, 1985). Al Borde is a project that intends to be consistent with the human dimension of space using minimal resources; not as an apology for precariousness but as an aesthetic and political resource. It stands on the edges of artistic practice and architecture, developing a sort of "intimate discourse of the place." As a work ethic, they propose designs that start from the "intelligence of the common," generating dynamics of community exchange where people design from their own collective awareness. It is a project that incisively questions the idea of discipline-based and capital-driven architecture. Al Borde has given conferences, and workshops, and exhibited its works in various countries. It was part of the official selection of the Venice Architecture Biennale (2016). They have received numerous awards, including the Medal for Cultural Recognition of Ecuador (2012), the World Award for Sustainable Architecture (Paris, 2013), and the Ibero-American Panorama Award for Works at the XI BIAU in Paraguay (2019).
