Unasur
Unasur is an institutional headquarters building located next to the Mitad del Mundo monument, north of Quito, Ecuador. About 75 percent of the program is placed underground, so the volume stays lower than the nearby monument. A solid reinforced concrete core supports two large metal trusses that form a habitable beam with a cantilever of 56 meters without support. Materials include concrete, steel, rock from an on-site quarry and double glazed dark glass. Water collection, cross ventilation and natural light reduce energy use. Open areas around the building are public.
Unasur Institutional Headquarters by Diego Guayasamin was featured as an innovative illustration of architectural design by the A' Design Awards. Unasur Institutional Headquarters won the Platinum A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design in 2021. The A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award is an international, juried, academic and meritocratic design prize which rewards outstanding design of skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions, religious structures, infrastructure designs, landscaping projects and more.
