School’s Out! #18 with Malu Borja of Al Borde

For School’s Out! #18 we invited Malu Borja from the Ecuadorian architecture collective Al Borde as our guest! Founded in 2007 in Quito, Al Borde is led by architects Pascual Gangotena, David Barragán, Maria Luisa Borja and Esteban Benavides. The collective focuses on the human dimension of space achieved through a minimal resort to available resources: “Do more with less”. Drawing on the “ordinary”, they wish to expand the human condition by engaging people and communities in the design process, questioning the subjection of architecture to bureaucracy and capital. 

In 2015 they were nominated for the Design of the Year Award at the Design Museum in London and featured in landmark exhibitions such as “Think Global, Build Social! Architectures for a Better World” (Vienna, 2014) and “Reporting from the Front” at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale. On Friday 28 May we dove deeper into the projects and principles of their collective.

About Al Borde
Founded in 2007 in Quito-Ecuador, Al Borde is led by architects Pascual Gangotena, David Barragán, Maria Luisa Borja and Esteban Benavides. The collective focuses on the human dimension of space achieved through a minimal resort to available resources. Drawing on the “ordinary”, they wish to expand the human condition by engaging people and communities in the design process, questioning the subjection of architecture to bureaucracy and capital. Through various projects they generate dynamics of social interchange where people design from their own collective consciousness. In 2015 they were nominated for the Design of the Year Award at the Design Museum in London and featured in landmark exhibitions such as “Think Global, Build Social! Architectures for a Better World” (Vienna, 2014) and “Reporting from the Front” at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale.