Located in Quito, CORPORATIVO 194 redefines the “horizontal office” with asymmetrical garden terraces that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. Arranged both horizontally and vertically, the terraces integrate the building into the urban landscape, creating a unique architectural experience. Incorporating native plants, they serve as vertical link that reconnect users with their environment. LEED Platinum certified, the structure challenges traditional boundaries, blending nature with architecture.
The Garden as Connection:
CORPORATIVO 194 embodies the Japanese concept of Syakkei—”a garden must evoke the horizon, integrating nature and the city into an inseparable whole.” (Kuma, 2010). This principle is visible from the ground floor, where a green sidewalk shaded by salvaged ceiba trees becomes the entrance and a space of permanence. Throughout its floors, garden terraces seamlessly blend with the surrounding landscape, offering spaces that connect intimately with the city and the encircling mountains.The rooftop, with its panoramic views of the Andean landscape, becomes a communal space featuring a café, dining area, leisure zone, meeting room, and an auditorium equipped with iconic Series 7 chairs by Arne Jacobsen.
Architectural Boundaries:
Inspired by Quito’s breathtaking natural surroundings, CORPORATIVO 194 challenges the idea of a closed corporate building. It opens up to the outside through garden terraces that serve as architectural gradients, blending interior and exterior spaces. These terraces blend architecture with nature, public with private, fostering a dynamic dialogue between the building, the city, and the landscape.
A True Connection with Nature:
Going beyond efficiency, CORPORATIVO 194 transcends typical "closed box" designs by integrating indoor and outdoor spaces. It fosters a deep connection with the urban environment and landscape, enriching the human experience. It comes back to what architecture is—an inspiring fusion of form, function, and nature that not only meets sustainability stan dards but it enriches the human experience.