Buildings are presented as a housing alternative for young people in Ecuador

Damián de la Torre lived “all his life” in houses. Since childhood, his family lived in this type of building. However, two years ago, he and his brother decided to live in an apartment building in the El Batán sector, north of Quito. High home prices and their remote location prompted him to see vertical offers in the capital.

He indicates that in the 24 months that he has been living in the apartment, he has generated “more community” than when he lived in a house: “With certain regulations that are established, one learns to live with neighbors, talk with them, at least with those who live on the same floor. Although in a neighborhood you talk to your neighbors about the respect of certain ordinances, every time that is lost, in a building it is the law to speak, even if we are separated by departments”.

It indicates that within the code of conduct that you must comply with in your building is that parties cannot go beyond 02:00, the use of washers and dryers, which tend to make noise, is allowed only until 20:00. You should also take turns with your apartment neighbors to water the plants that are in the common areas.

One of the aspects that stands out about its building is that it has garden and barbecue areas: “There are buildings that have a home theater, a swimming pool, a gym. You pay aliquots for these services and it is a saving ”.

He claims that he pays $ 75 a month in aliquots, which includes, apart from maintenance, piped water and gas. “What is also cool is that there are parks and you build a community with the people from the other buildings.”.

Meanwhile, Martha Romero decided to buy an apartment in a building, within the private urbanizations that are on the road to the coast, in Guayaquil, five years ago. He claims that he made this decision because he did not want such a large space to live. Together with her boyfriend they work and “don’t have time” to be “fixing and cleaning” a house.

In addition, she says, she travels a lot outside the country, so the security provided by an apartment is “perfect” for her. Pay $ 120 in aliquots. Its building has a gym, swimming pool, parking and a social area for parties.

“The communal area must be occupied at certain times and you must reserve for a specific day and time. There are green areas and we have a balcony. So far I’m doing fine. I know the neighbors in my apartment, not that we are friends, but I get along well with them”, dice.

She is 35 years old and Damián 37. They are both part of the new generations that have developed a taste for vertical buildings, says Henry Yandún, spokesman for the collective Constructores Positiva.

“Young people like apartments, small spaces, but with large social areas, a swimming pool, what is called amenities (spaces for common use such as swimming pools, multipurpose rooms, gyms, grills, spas, saunas, game rooms, movie theaters, among others). Now, usually, in a young couple, both of them work and they no longer have time to be cleaning large spaces like a house has them“, Explain.

That is why it seems essential that the municipalities of Ecuador begin to bet on vertical projects. In fact, these types of initiatives generate savings for local governments, says the expert. “Horizontal growth is more expensive because you have to provide drinking water, sewerage in larger areas. With buildings you concentrate resources ”.

Although currently the Ecuadorian is still betting a higher percentage on houses, Yandún points out that this will change in the short term: “Young people no longer want large rooms for parties, they want shared social areas. They don’t want entertainment rooms either, now they don’t even like having a television, since they watch everything on a computer or cell phone. Before, only one of the members of the couple worked and the other stayed at home and supported it, that happens less and less. So, the municipalities must adapt ”.

In addition, it ensures that the vertical growth of cities is supported and promoted by the United Nations (UN), since this is part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN-Habitat World Cities 2020 report indicates that the contraction of the world economy generated by the pandemic implies that there will be less funds available for urban development projects that have to do with water, sanitation, public transport systems, housing adequate and affordable, so it is “essential” to channel the available resources well.

All this in a context where an estimated 70% of people will live in urban centers by 2050. Furthermore, the report emphasizes the role of the New Urban Agenda, the UN’s 20-year plan for sustainable urbanization, as a roadmap to achieve sustainable development and combat climate change.

A study by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) states that in cities like Guayaquil, horizontal urban expansion causes much more serious problems such as deforestation and that this contributes to exacerbating the expected impacts of climate change such as floods, runoff, risk of erosion and landslide.

“Formal and informal growth in Guayaquil is eminently horizontal with low-rise buildings with few floors, whose expansion is done to the detriment of the space that surrounds it, which makes urbanization more expensive and makes it difficult to access low-cost housing for populations with fewer resources. ”Says the research.

Distrust due to earthquakes

According to Yandún, there are Ecuadorians who still distrust living in buildings because of the earthquakes. In particular, for the critical pictures left by the 2016 Manabí earthquake.

However, he affirms that the formal construction of vertical housing solutions should not be mistrusted: “What happened in Manabí was because there was a lot of informal construction of buildings or houses that became buildings. Formal construction is governed by regulations based on international parameters and requires the use of earthquake resistant materials.”.

Social coexistence is not always optimal

Carlos Chávez, 33, lives in one of the multi-family blocks built in the La Pradera 2 sector, in the south of Guayaquil. He comments that his experience is not positive and that “as soon as he has the opportunity to change” he will.

He states that he constantly has discussions with his neighbors due to the cleaning of common areas such as stairs or pet care: “Here we do not pay aliquots and, in theory, we have to take turns cleaning, but there are families who do not do it and there the problems. They also do not have the respective care with their pets ”.

For Yandún, this type of problem does not only apply to buildings, as they also occur in residential citadels and even neighborhoods: “There is never a lack of a neighbor who does not pay or is careless, but that happens everywhere unless you have a house on a large lot and there are no houses around, but this is hardly ever seen.”. (I)