When we began the construction of GO Quito Hotel and envisioned the final result, we knew that such a complex structure, such a detailed, tall, and spacious building, had to have the most solid foundations. As our grandparents used to say, “firmly grounded.” At GO Quito Hotel, we know that having our feet firmly planted on the ground means respecting it, being grateful for it, and taking care of the soil that supports us as we rise in height and quality.
With every stone, every handful of sand, and every piece of glass we placed to build GO Quito Hotel, we tried to be true to our desire to care for the space we inhabit and the land that provides its solidity. We have always been inspired by the natural grandeur of the mountains surrounding us; we want to show that we are proud to be one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and to achieve this, we committed to using processes and tools that will leave a positive impact on the ecosystem of our capital and generate the least possible environmental impact.
The world also inspires us: we know that cities with the best quality of life are those that protect their green spaces. In this sense, GO Quito Hotel is a modern, responsible, and conscious hotel that understands the needs of our times, one of which is to protect and promote the greenery of our cities.
“One of the most challenging stages of the entire process is the beginning,” says Luis Salazar, the head of construction at GO Quito Hotel. A smile appears on his face as he recalls the journey he and his team had to go through to build GO Quito Hotel and make it one of the most impressive, modern, and eco-friendly buildings in the entire city—a long and difficult path filled with challenges and satisfaction. “You see,” he says, “the beginning is the dirtiest, muddiest part, the part that demands the most resistance. And it’s complex because this is the part where you must start implementing all the ecological aspects, all the responsible processes.”
Luis joined the GO Quito team when the project began to take shape. His task was not at all easy: on Eloy Alfaro Avenue—one of the busiest in Quito—in the midst of one of the most active, bustling, and significant neighborhoods in the entire capital, Luis and his team had to build a hotel, in full view of the city center, that would stand out not only for its architectural design and impressive modern façade but also for having been built with environmentally friendly processes, responsibility, and eco-friendly materials. Luis tells us that waste management is one of the biggest challenges that every construction faces. Rocks, metal, sand, and many materials are required to build a structure. Constructions as large, detailed, and grand as GO Quito Hotel, in the hands of the wrong people, could have generated a dangerous amount of waste. However, Luis says it’s not about reducing scales but knowing how to manage and understand the appropriate processes.
The GO Quito Hotel team was committed to responsible waste management from the beginning. One of the most critical tasks was sorting the waste, Luis asserts. It may seem simple, but it’s an important and complex task. Every material and waste were sorted and organized, from the tiniest screws and bent nails to the heaviest debris and giant walls. Steel with steel, stone with stone, iron with iron.
Sorting waste is a task that few large-scale construction companies undertake. Sadly, builders often dispose of waste as regular trash; they abandon it and shirk responsibility. At GO Quito Hotel, on the contrary, we know that adequately sorted waste allows for much more successful waste management. From GO Quito Hotel, we contacted environmental managers and sent the sorted waste for proper handling and processing. We worked with recyclers, reusers, and even specialists in non-reusable waste who took care of the correct processing of hazardous or contaminating materials.
Sorting waste and contributing to better recycling and waste management processes demonstrate our knowledge and commitment to an environmentally friendly approach. But it’s not just about administering and managing waste correctly; it’s also about reducing the amount of waste generated and minimizing wastefulness. This was another challenge that Luis and his team had to face: to create less waste, they thought about using suitable materials. 95% of the walls are made of galvanized Gypsum. This very lightweight material is easy to handle and generates much less waste than other common materials used for walls.
“Material selection is fundamental,” says Luis. “There is a lot of environmental responsibility in using the right materials.” Usually, companies acquire materials prioritizing cheaper ones that allow for cost savings. Cheaper is equal to better. But that’s not the case at GO Quito Hotel. Our eco-friendly ideal also involves the responsible use of the most optimal materials, designed with cutting-edge processes and intended to generate minimal environmental impact while still offering the quality we deserve. Most of the materials used in the construction of GO Quito Hotel come from recycling: the iron and steel, which form the backbone, the core of our building, is 100% recycled.
We were okay with the higher price of these metals; we sought the best quality while fulfilling our commitment to the city, nature, and our visitors. Everyone who visits our premises can feel proud to be part of a chain of commitments to care for and respect our land.
The effort put into the construction and all the processes is also reflected in the aesthetics and style of our hotel. In the urban ecosystem of the capital, GO Quito stands out: our façade and most of our structure are made of special glass that shines under the Andean light and visually distinguishes us among buildings. But these glasses hold more than just a modern, attractive, and beautiful style; they are also part of our ecological implementations. These are not ordinary glasses; the so-called “hermetic glasses” or “chamber glass” consist of two glass sheets joined by dehydrated air. These and other technical aspects make these glasses an ideal material for conserving heat, resulting in significant energy savings throughout the building and efficient temperature control, one of the most complex aspects of any construction.
Efficient and responsible energy use is one of our most vital commitments. Implementing intelligent and eco-friendly systems makes GO Quito Hotel an extremely special building. All technical aspects related to sustainability and resource management have allowed us to earn environmental certifications, such as the one granted by the Municipality of Quito related to eco-efficiency or the one guaranteeing that our construction was a sustainable and responsible process. But beyond the recognitions and certifications, the ecological processes that are part of GO Quito Hotel allow us to maintain a friendly and conscious lifestyle towards environmental care, enabling our visitors to feel part of these commitments.
One of the systems we highlight is the one implemented to reuse gray water and use rainwater. Through state-of-the-art technology and complex processes, GO Quito Hotel has created an irrigation system for its gardens and green areas that uses purified and processed rainwater and gray water. Moreover, our irrigation systems use intelligent control mechanisms to manage the flow and amount of water used, allowing us to reduce consumption and efficiently manage precious resources.
Undoubtedly, we are proud that we have created an infrastructure and a space specifically for implementing and correctly using renewable energy. Within the planning and development of GO Quito Hotel, we designed two areas intended to implement solar panels. These panels are the lifeblood of the great organism that is GO Quito Hotel. We are delighted to say that we know how to responsibly use the sunlight from the middle of the world—one of the most beautiful and intense—in multiple ways: not only because we create spaces that are illuminated by the natural daylight but also because, in the evenings and nights, the sun continues to be present thanks to our panels that provide us with over 60% of the energy GO Quito Hotel requires to remain lit, bright, and operational. This renewable energy provides light in our building and enables various eco-friendly processes, such as efficiently heating the water in the rooms.
When speaking of the eco-friendly processes that shaped GO Quito Hotel, we cannot forget the space we designated for the creation of micro-ecosystems of fauna and flora within our building. From the initial stages of construction, GO Quito Hotel was designed to host green spaces and native plants from our region. We created hanging gardens around our building, in the halls, and on our façade; we designed a terrace and a series of balconies containing endemic plants of Quito and flower species that attract hummingbirds and other unique mountain birds. This demonstrates our way of thinking and visualizing our space: not just as a building but as an organic element of the city’s nature.
We constructed our infrastructure with sustainable and environmentally friendly processes and are guided by the desire to create spaces suitable for developing ecosystems and sustainable practices. One of the challenges was protecting our garden, from which we gather several products used in the kitchen. We know that thinking of our hotel as more than just a mere building is what allowed us to create a different infrastructure that—besides being visually attractive and cutting-edge—holds secrets that, day by day, contribute to the care of our natural space and enable us to continue fighting to uphold our commitment to protect the world we live in.
That made and continues to make a difference at GO Quito Hotel: we have been thinking, from the foundations, about caring for life. And every morning, we wake up confident about continuing to do so. And it brings us great joy to know that those who visit us can be part of this team and commitment.
