In Ecuador there is a neighborhood that looks like a forest

A mini-neighborhood that feels like a mini-jungle. Nine stone residential blocks, each with 600 apartments, all overlooking curved balconies, completely covered in greenery. The visual impact of the Aquarela residential complex , built in the Cumbayà neighborhood of Quito, Ecuador , on a surface area of ​​136.580 square meters, is truly impressive. The architects of Ateliers Jean Nouvel envisioned an approach closely integrated with its surroundings: a true urban jungle, not far from the real jungle and the mountains that lead to the local volcano. The project, designed by architects Jean Nouvel and Alberto Medem of Humboldt, includes outdoor spaces, vertical gardens, that climb jagged stone surfaces. The interior spaces, meanwhile, emphasize the stone effect, with abundant use of wood.

The Aquarela residential complex, surrounded by the Andean mountains, boasts other sustainable features that extend beyond its architectural design. Energy systems are low-consumption and maximize efficiency. Rainwater harvesting systems (rainfall is frequent and abundant here) and drip irrigation systems are used to avoid water waste.

Green here is not just an aesthetic slogan, but also has specific functional characteristics, such as:

• collection and reuse ofrain water
• reuse of domestic water
• solar panels and energy saving
• local and recycled materials.

The apartments are:

• modern and bright
• with large windows overlooking the Cumbayá Valley
• designed to exploit natural light and ventilation.