Al Borde: Less Is All

“Less Is All” is the motto of Ecuadorian architecture firm Al Borde-founded in 2007 by Pascual Gangotena, David Barragán, Marialuisa Borja and Estevan Benavides. Naming Al Borde one of the top 100 architecture firms in the world in 2019, the editors of wrote: “Convinced that the strength of an architectural project lies in the later autonomy of its users, Al Borde’s design and decision-making process rely on the involvement of the community in all phases of planning and construction, and the systematic exploration of the local context.” The materials they use and the projects they adopt reflect the state of a globalized Ecuador. For example, for their Al Borde refurbished an 18th-century family house by restoring the rammed earth walls, installing tire rubber and recycled glass on the roof and suspending beds above the open-plan, ground-floor living area with eucalyptus trusses, thus maintaining the form of the house but turning the interior into something indubitably modern.