Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Jacob van Rijs of MVRDV and Joseph Schwarzkopf of Uribe Schwarzkopf have announced the design for a new residential project in Ecuador, named The Hills.
The Hills project is all about a group of six residential towers with curvilinear balconies located on the Guayas riverfront marking the town’s skyline.
the project is extending the boulevard that is gradually being consolidated along much of the city’s waterfront.
The heights of six residential towers range from 92 to 143 meters, rising taller as they step away from the riverfront, thus echoing the way the city “steps up” from the waterfront to the hills behind.
The base that merges the towers together forms a terraced green valley and contains an oasis of pools, sports fields, and a large urban amphitheater facing the riverfront, all surrounded by lush, natural vegetation.
Inside this base are shops, a large community clubhouse, and other amenities.
The studio creates a deeper “canyon” between the four towers located closest to the river and the two towers towards the city.
This offers extra spaces for retail units while creating a route for pedestrians to cross the site at ground level, also enabling the project to be built in two phases.
“The complex is almost a city in itself, with towers of different heights, so it’s a mini skyline – but it’s also part of a larger skyline along the promenade,” states MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs.
The project’s outer edges take cues from the visual language of its neighboring high-rises – white balconies, arranged in straight orthogonal lines.
The balconies are shaped by straight lines and flowing curves that create irregular setbacks and overhangs.
The office, which uses earth tones at the lower levels as a material choice, gradually leaves it to lighter colors as it approaches the sky.
On all levels, the studio adds plenty of greenery in the balconies, extending the atmosphere of the central valley up to the top of the “hills” that surround it.
The wide balconies shade the glass facade, while the positioning of the towers and the curved shapes help to improve ventilation, allowing breezes to flow across the site unimpeded.
The abundant greenery is aimed to cool the surroundings, reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the building, and making the valley itself a comfortable, welcoming environment for both residents and visitors.
The building will provide a large part of the renewable energy to be used in common areas and residences from photovoltaics.
In addition, the project will collect and store rainwater for irrigation use in the gardens, while LED lighting and heat pumps reduce the overall carbon footprint of the development.
The Hills offers a wide selection of apartment sizes and types, offering everything from small apartments for individuals to apartments for families.
Along with an abundance of amenities, The Hills features a vibrant public program, and plentiful retail options, ensuring that the building will be used throughout the day by a diverse group of residents and visitors – making the building a dynamic and exciting new destination in Guayaquil.
Project: The Hills
Architects: MVRDV
Co-Architect and Interior Architect: Uribe Schwarzkopf
Structural Engineering and MEP: Grupo Vera
Founding Partner in Charge: Jacob van Rijs
Partner: Frans de Witte
Design Team: Fedor Bron, Fouad Addou, Anouk Wilmering, Teodora Cirjan, Laurens Veth, Aneta Rymsza, Samantha Gazzolo, Diego Lopez, Alberto Canton, Sandra Baggerman, Pavel Basmanov, and Natasha Trice
Environmental Advisor: Peter Mensinga
Visualizations: Antonio Luca Coco, Pavlos Ventouris, Luca Piattelli, Angelo La Delfa, Jaroslaw Jeda, Marco Fabri, Stefania Trozzi, Ciprian Buzdugan, and Luis Perona
Structural Engineering and MEP: Grupo Vera
Client: Uribe Schwarzkopf
Photographers: MVRDV
