Witoca Lab is located in Huaticocha in the buffer zone of the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The project functions as a laboratory for reproducing biological pest-control agents and combines construction techniques with agroecological strategies linked to the Kichwa chakra model of land management. The laboratory supports local production of antagonistic microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma, strains developed by Ecuador’s INIAP for ecological control of coffee and cocoa pests. Training from CEFA enables the community to reproduce and apply these biological technologies, supporting regional sustainable agricultural management. Al Borde’s architectural proposal organizes laboratory functions into entry, reproduction, and incubation zones connected by a central workspace with filtered natural light. Adobe vaults provide passive climate control by stabilizing interior temperatures and reducing energy demand while isolating reproduction and incubation areas from humidity, sunlight, and ultraviolet radiation.
"Witoca Lab by is located in the community of Huaticocha within the buffer zone of the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Developed as a laboratory for the reproduction of biological pest-control agents, the project combines construction techniques with agroecological strategies associated with the Kichwa concept of the chakra, a model of land management based on biodiversity and ecosystem preservation."
"The laboratory supports the local production of antagonistic microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma, strains developed by Ecuador's National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP) for the ecological control of coffee and cocoa pests. Through collaboration with CEFA (European Committee for Training and Agriculture), the Witoca community received training in the reproduction and application of these biological technologies, allowing the project to operate as a regional hub for sustainable agricultural management in the Ecuadorian Amazon."
"The architectural proposal is organized into three independent operational zones: Entry, Reproduction, and Incubation. The zones are connected through a central workspace where laboratory processes take place. Due to the technical requirements of microorganism cultivation, the incubation and reproduction areas required controlled isolation from external humidity, direct sunlight, and ultraviolet radiation, while the central working area incorporates filtered natural light."
"To meet these environmental and technical conditions, the architects at Al Borde developed the project using an integrated earth construction system composed of adobe vaults. The thermal mass of the adobe stabilizes interior temperatures and reduces fluctuations within the laboratory spaces, decreasing the energy demand associated with climate control systems. The use of adobe also minimizes the p"
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