When traveling through the commercial area of Quito, in the north center of the city, it has become recurrent to look up and admire the tall buildings that were built there. This type of construction towards the top proposes a new model for the capital, with homes, offices, business centers and entertainment with a vertical vision.
This is not new; In fact, it seems that Quito has been delayed in its expansion towards the sky, as large capitals have done worldwide. However, the reason for not having taken off years ago with this type of construction has different aspects, which include cost, way of life, planning, among others.
Germán Carvajal, representative of the consulting firm Market Watch, pointed out that during the last decade the supply of apartments in Quito has doubled, especially in the north central area, which is practically entirely made up of apartments.
In addition, he said, there are two new points that are increasing the sale of apartments, which are Cumbayá and Tumbaco.
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Carvajal explained that in Quito the characteristics to opt for a house have been changing during the last fifteen years. “Before, the man from Quito had as his first plan to acquire a house, and as a second option, an apartment, since he thought he would not have privacy. This has now changed,” he said.
In his opinion, people now see access to an apartment as a priority, and they do so depending on socioeconomic reasons. For example, people who have economic capacity look for apartments to gain centrality (close to everything) and for a kind of social fashion.
These are the clients who are buying apartments in the north center of the city or who are looking towards the new cities that Cumbayá and Tumbaco will become.
On the other hand, there is the apartment market on the outskirts of the city; For example, in the south of Quito there are cheaper departments; in this case they opt for them specifically because of the cost, since they are not part of centrality or fashion.
According to the consultant, currently in Quito there is an offer of 5,000 apartment-type units. In addition, he noted that the demand for apartments will increase substantially over the next ten years in cities like Quito or Cuenca, where the vertical model will mean 70% of construction.
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Uribe Schwarzkopf is one of the main construction companies that have opted for the construction of buildings. In the last five years they have produced at least seven vertical buildings that have changed the urban profile. In fact, according to their figures, they have generated more than 1,200 housing and office units distributed in the La Carolina sector.
Daniel Elmir, representative of Elmir Grupo Inmobiliario, explained that Quito has had a disorderly development during the last 30 years. This has allowed the city to grow towards the ravines, where there are buildings on the slopes, as a response to the lack of urban planning.
“The importance of high-rise construction is intended to re-concentrate the city, make it more compact, have centralities that allow people to find all the services and amenities within fifteen minutes of walking or cycling,” he argued. .
In addition, he pointed out that the increase in housing in central areas would not cause a collapse of services, such as the consumption of electricity, drinking water, sewerage, among others. According to his figures, the city only consumes 30% of these services.
He also indicated that issues of transportation, infrastructure and public services are resolved. But, without a doubt, the one that currently interests the public the most is security. Given this, Elmir noted that “as people have gone to live in areas that still do not have services, the Police do not have the capacity to also cover all areas.” That is to say, with the houses gathered in more central sectors, there would be a better response in security.
According to Uribe Schwarzkopf, one of the main reasons for vertical construction is the limited space that the capital has, unlike Guayaquil, which would still have plenty of space for construction.
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Germán Carvajal added that between 2010 and 2022 the land sector has tripled in terms of prices; this would have limited the construction of houses and allowed them to now opt for apartments.
For example, the last tower that is about to be delivered by the Elmir group will have 100 housing units; this would mean approximately 250 people who could live in this place. “On the same land that will have more families, if it is not built in height, it would not have space for more than 70 people,” Elmir added.
Thus, the capital begins a path of change in the urban profile. In the coming years, the face that it shows to the world will be different, especially as far as construction is concerned. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
