Two of our projects have been recognized by the distinguished annual international architecture awards program Rethinking The Future Awards, an architecture community that is currently represents the fastest-growing in the industry. The jury, made up of academics and established professionals with tremendous experience and prestigious international career, carefully selects the projects and votes to select the most innovative. There were more than 1,200 projects registered in more than 40 countries, covering a variety of categories such as architecture, landscaping, urban design, product design, and interior design, among others.
We are very proud to inform you that the Mica House and Marquise projects, by Ricardo de Castro, were selected as winners honoring their excellence and innovation in architecture and design.
MICA HOUSE – RTF AWARD 2020 WINNER – PRIVATE RESIDENCE CATEGORY (LARGE) (CONCEPT)
Located in a residential area in the municipality of Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Mica House is distinguished by its minimalist style and the concepts based on sustainability. Its location on the ground responds to the study of shadows and sunlight that are part of the characteristics of this geographical area, which is characterized by high temperatures and degrees of humidity.
Given these particular features, the house was designed with open terraces on the south facade, solar shutters on the north facade, and a natural ventilation system known as a solar chimney inside the space. These elements improve ventilation around of the spaces that make up the house, reducing the excessive use of air conditioning equipment and allowing air renewal and sustainability.
The house was designed to be energy-efficient with a system of photovoltaic panels and water tanks protecting the green areas. Finally, the material to highlight in this project is architectural concrete, which combined with the use of ceilings and wood-like furniture, generates a warm and welcoming atmosphere that is part of the characteristics of the coastal areas such as the one where Mica House is located.
MARQUISE – RTF AWARD 2020 – WINNER CATEGORY PUBLIC BUILDING (CONCEPT)
Water, in addition to being a vital resource for human beings is a limited resource and the only way to make it renewable is with proper management. Because millions of people do not have access to safely managed sanitation, this leads to water pollution and the degradation of our aquatic ecosystems. The Marquise project was conceived as a building that integrates a cistern system capable of storing and cleaning 0.046 m3 / second of wastewater from homes in the surrounding area before returning it to natural water bodies. Additionally, the filtered water is reused in the production of aquaponic crops for the sustainable maintenance of the building.
Using a technology called Vertical Flow Labyrinth that works like a biological reactor that through a continuous flow process of activated sludge, eliminates organic impurities and produces water clarification. Simultaneously, a large part of this resource covers maintenance and operation of both public and internal spaces of the building.
Marquise is an unprecedented project, which was conceived by Ricardo de Castro to become an architectural reference for the world with an economically sustainable model that produces a positive impact on the quality of life and responds to a concern of utmost importance: the sustainable solution to wastewater treatment.
