Proyecta Cato

their future professionals. Our

Students are prepared for

to project what will one day be

the future of architecture and design in

our city and the world.

These are ideas that inspire projects that

They are building tomorrow. They are the best.

academic.

Project Cato 2026. Come and learn about

designs that originate in their city.

Heart, heart.

In the heart of Cuenca, ideas take shape

form and the historic center becomes

in the perfect space for projection.

Architecture, design and culture

intertwine in a dialogue that awakens

in the genity, serving as a canvas for

the most visionary ideas.

Our university seeks to ensure that the

Students, don't leave your designs in a

computer. encourages and creates spaces

so that students can present their

projects in an iconic location and the

Cuenca residents and the world to discover it. A

It's a sample so everyone can see the

talent of their future professionals.

Our students are prepared

to project what at some point

It will be the future of architecture and design.

in our city and in the world.

These are inspiring ideas, projects that

They are building tomorrow. They are the best.

academic.

Project Cato 2026. Come and learn about

designs that originate in your city.

Working with spacing

We are Cato Heart.

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era.

It is our mission

and our elon.

You will fly as high as a red eagle.

We will expel you at all costs. Tea

will stop.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there.

and you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are so much heart.

We are going to live our mission to arrive

far away by the old

are

heart, heart, and nothing enters our

vision with work, with effort and

passion.

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote it

all. Now it's your turn so much and I'm sure it

You're going to achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart, heart, we will live

Our mission is to serve

we are songs heart heart nothing

will stop our vision with work, with

effort and passion

We are song, heart.

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era

It is our mission.

and our hope.

You will fly as high as a red eagle.

We will expel you at all costs. Nothing

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. The

we will crossbow

and of falls. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart to heart. Let's air our

mission to go far for the well producers

heart, heart, and nothing enters our

vision. With work, with effort and

passion.

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote it

all. Now it's your turn

And I'm sure you'll achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart, heart, we will live

our mission

the winding earth

We are songs, heart, heart, and nothing.

will stop our vision with work, with

effort and passion

we are each heart.

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era

It is our mission.

And our hope

You will fly as high as a red eagle.

We will support you at all costs. Nothing to you

will stop.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life.

and of falls. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart to heart. We're going to open

our mission to go far by

old

are

heart heart and nothing

Our vision through work and effort

and passion.

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote everything.

Now it's your turn, and you're sure to...

achieve.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

If you decline like red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart, heart, we will live

our mission of solidarity

we are songs heart heart nothing

will stop our vision with work with

This is my passion

we are song heart

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era.

It is our mission

and our evasion.

You will fly as high as a red eagle.

We will expel you at all costs. Nothing to you

will stop.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life.

and of falls. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart and soul and we are going to open

our mission to go far by

old consumer

heart, heart, and nothing enters our

vision with work, with effort and

passion

We rose again together and grew so much

We changed history, we wrote to him

all. Now it's your turn and I'm sure you'll do it

to achieve.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are songs, heart to heart. Let's go

Living our mission comes

the following

we are songs heart heart nothing

will stop our vision with work with

This passion

we are heart

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era

It is our mission

and our evasion.

You will dwell as high as a red eagle.

We will expel you at all costs.

Nothing will stop you.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We will crossbow

and of falls. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart and soul and we're going to fly

our mission to go far by

old

are

heart heart and nothing

Our vision through work and effort

and passion

We rose again together and grew so much

We changed history, we wrote everything.

Now it's your turn

And I'm sure you'll achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We will be there and

deas

red. Ladies and gentlemen, very good

days with everyone present. We give them

a warm welcome to

Proyectacato, a space where the

architecture, design, innovation and

creativity is found for

share ideas, experiences and new

ways of thinking about our cities and the

spaces we inhabit. We greet the

authorities who are with us on this

tomorrow. Enrique Pozo Cabrera, Chancellor

from the Catholic University of Cuenca.

Agustín Borja Pozo, rector of the

Catholic University of Cuenca. Vanessa

Bermeo Pasmiño, Vice-Rector of

teaching. Rafael García Abad,

Vice-Rector of Research and

innovation. Marcelo Aguilera Crespo,

Vice-Rector General. Santiago Moscoso

Bernal, dean of the Faculty of

Engineering, Industry and Construction.

Rafael Borja Pozo, sub-dean of the

faculty.

We extend this greeting to our

Dear career directors

teachers, guest professionals,

representatives of the different

public and private institutions.

Dear students and public in

general,

to begin with this important

space, we invited Rafael Borja,

sub-dean of the faculty, who will have

his position, the welcoming remarks and

He will tell us about the Cato 2026 project.

Good morning everyone, sir

Chancellor, Rector, Gentlemen

vice-rectors,

deans.

President of the College of Architects of

the Suay,

Dean of the Faculty of the University

of the Americas of UDLA. Welcome.

It is a true honor for me.

to give you the warmest welcome to the

Proyectato inauguration.

Proyectacato is an academic celebration,

an academic celebration that begins with a

Very simple question.

How can we train better architects?

for a better city? And that led us

to a concern.

How to avoid academic inbreeding in

Architecture?

That tendency to think that the one who

only from our own classrooms

we understood that architecture cannot

to be built only between

architects,

but needs to dialogue with the

citizenship.

I think that was very clear to him

Pichincha College of Architects in

the last

in the last competition he held in the

museum of Ecuador. Philip Johnson

He also told us that architecture is

the only art

that is imposed on people.

And it's true because if I go to Paris and

I want to see the Mona Lisa, it's my decision

Enter or not enter Lubre.

But if I build a building on my

city, I'm going to have it every day

that visualize.

And so, among some friends, many

young people, and others not so young,

We talked and created dynamics.

We created several projects, including

We created the contest, the first contest

from Cator Render, which left us with pleasant memories

memories, like the lady who us

He asked us to explain

Why did the tree cross in the render?

And it wasn't that the tree crossed the

render, but the render was framed and

the background architecture with the

nature of the beginning.

A forum was held where we brought together the

largest real estate developers in the country,

much controversy between them, but

developed in the best way and

They debated and an academy was created for

our students.

We created the summit

and the first Acato project was created, which

He also left us

many beautiful experiences with the

citizenship because we already adhere to the

citizens believing that all these

events

It's for our students and the only one

so that it is useful for our students

It's so they can get their feedback

with the products we take out cycle to

cycle.

and one of the ladies wanted to take the

project of one of our

students that were 10,000 m² of

construction and she wanted to build them

on a plot of land measuring 5 by 10 m².

In the second and last Cato project

a foreigner, I don't know exactly where he was from

He was the young man, but he found some

aura, any theory outside of this

universe and explained a whole bus that

He came with the theory that

He found it in that project.

And so we collected several

very enriching experiences for

our students, which gives them the endorsement to

they of the knowledge that go

acquiring cycle by cycle, and that this is

for the city of Cuenca and for the

Ecuador. That's Proyectacato, it's a

academic celebration and it's for you

students. Thank you so much.

We appreciate the valuable input of

our sub-dean. Next

We will listen to the message of whomever

represents the talent and commitment of

our students. We invite you

Valeria Maya, representative of the

winners of Proyecta Cato 2025.

If I had to summarize my experience in

Cato's project in a single word would be

fear.

To be honest, at the beginning everything was a

chaos. There were high expectations, there were

many insecurities and many doubts. Me

I kept asking if my project

It was good enough. Besides,

when you see the level of others

participants, it's inevitable to compare yourself

and feel that maybe you're not the

height.

But that's precisely where it all began

true learning.

Participating in this contest made me

to understand that Proyecta Cato is not just

a competition,

It's an opportunity to put into

put into practice everything you learn in the

classrooms, to discover, to discover what

that we are capable of when we work with

commitment and dedication.

The biggest lesson I take away from

This project is about perseverance.

I learned that good design doesn't always

It doesn't appear on the first or second try.

A project needs time, it needs

If he makes a mistake, he needs to change and

to start over and above all to trust in

the process.

We often believe that ideas don't

They work, but every correction we make

It makes us get a little closer to

what we are looking for. I also learned

to listen to the observations of our

teachers, who are our

mentors, although sometimes it's difficult

accept criticism. I understood that each

The comment was an opportunity to

improve.

Thanks to this process, not only did the

project, I also grew up with it.

I want to thank my colleagues

as a team where we share stress and doubts

and also satisfaction. Thank you for your

commitment, for the ideas they contributed,

for supporting each other and for showing

at work that the work in

The team always delivers results

be better.

I think these kinds of experiences

They greatly enrich our

training because it teaches us to

to face our challenges, to

to defend our ideas, to trust in

our capabilities. These are lessons.

that will not accompany us throughout

our professional life.

Finally, I want to invite everyone

students who are interested in participating

in the next editions of Project

I obey. Don't be afraid to try.

Dare to trust in ideas, learn

in the process and enjoy each stage.

In the end, beyond the result, what

We're really going to take everything with us.

that we learn along the way. Many

thank you.

We thank Valeria Maya for her

words. To hold the inauguration

As the official of this meeting, we invite you to

Agustín Borja Aposo, rector of the

Catholic University of Cuenca, who

will address the attendees and declare

This academic event is now open.

Good morning to everyone. Do

mine are the vocatives of our teacher of

ceremony.

I want to begin by thanking

our special guests who have

given the time to come here to Proyecta

Cato to look and observe what she does

Catholic University of Cuenca, which is

fulfill its objective of transcending and

transform cities through

academy. the academy that is dedicated today

to look for peaceful cities, more peaceful cities

human through the integration of

our substantive functions, through

through scientific research

through formative research

from teaching.

Today we are in this space, in this

space for growth, in this space

where we want to show the world what

It is the Catholic University of Cuenca,

but also to bring the best of the world

for our students. These are the

spaces where we generate the true

critical thinking of our

students and through that I want

Congratulations to the Faculty of Engineering,

Industry and Construction to generate

These spaces year after year. My

Congratulations, Mr. Dean. With these

I want brief and heartfelt words

declare this event inaugurated. Many

thank you.

We appreciate the valuable input of

our rector. Officially

We have inaugurated Proyecta Cato.

We hope these days will be a

opportunity to learn, share

knowledge, generate new connections

and continue building the future of

architecture and design. In a few minutes

minutes we will begin the block of

conferences. Thank you for your presence.

Thank you so much.

Our mission to go far by

old

We are heart and soul and nothing else

Our vision through work and effort

and passion.

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote everything.

Now it's your turn so much

And I'm sure you'll achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

There are so many of us, heart to heart, let's go

to live our mission from afar

We are songs, heart, heart, and nothing.

will stop our vision with work, with

space

we are each heart.

The time has come for you not to be your goal.

Let's make history, a new era

It is our mission.

And our hope

You will fly as high as a red eagle.

We will support you at all costs.

Nothing will stop you.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We will crossbow

and of falls. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are songs, heart to heart. Let's go

Open our mission to go far by

the old eaves

We are heart and soul and nothing else

Our vision through work and effort

and passion

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote everything.

Now it's your turn to do everything, and I'm sure you will.

achieve.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are songs, heart to heart. Let's go

to live our mission, to go far

stitches

We are songs, heart, heart, and nothing.

will stop our vision with work, with

effort and passion

We are heart.

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era

It is our mission.

and our evasion.

You will dwell as high as a red eagle.

We will support you at all costs. Nothing to you

will stop.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We will crossbow

and of falls. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are songs, heart to heart. Let's go

to embody our mission to go far

by the old

heart heart and nothing

Our vision through work and effort

and passion

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote everything.

Now it's your turn

And I'm sure you'll achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are grateful, heart to heart. Let's go

Living our mission comes

the signs

we are songs heart heart nothing

will stop our vision with work with

This is my passion

we are heart

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era

It is our mission

and our evasion.

You will dwell as high as a red eagle.

We will support you at all costs.

Nothing will stop you.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We will be there if

of falls. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are songs, heart to heart. Let's go

to embody our mission to go far

with life at cost

heart heart and nothing

our vision. With work, with

effort and passion.

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote it

all.

Now it's your turn, I'm sure you'll do it.

achieve.

We will be a part of your life. We will be there if

you decline

the red ones. And your triumph belongs to everyone.

We are songs, heart to heart. Let's go

live our mission. Arriving with the

coconuts

we are songs heart heart nothing

will stop our vision with work, with

effort and passion.

We are cato heart.

The time has come for you not to be your goal. Let's do it

history, a new era.

It is our mission

and brings us anointing.

You will dwell as high as a red eagle. Come on

to push you at all costs. Nothing to you

will stop.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there.

and you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

Are

heart.

We're going to open and our mission will arrive

far away due to open consumption

heart, heart, and nothing enters our

vision with work, with effort and

passion

We rose again together and grew so much,

We changed history, we wrote it

all.

Now it's your turn and I'm sure you'll do it

achieve.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are songs, heart to heart. Let's go

live our mission.

Only

I'm lying.

We are songs, heart to heart. Nothing

will stop our vision with work. With

That is my passion.

We are song, heart.

The time has come for you to achieve your goal.

Let's make history, a new era.

It is our mission

and our elon.

You will dwell as high as a red eagle.

We will support you at all costs. Tea

will stop.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there.

and you decline. We are red eagles and you

This victory belongs to everyone.

We are heart to heart. We're going to open

our mission to go far by

old serum.

We are heart and soul and nothing gets in.

our vision. With work, with

effort and passion.

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote it

all. Now it's your turn, I'm sure you'll do it.

achieve.

We will be a part of your life. We'll be there

if you decline

Here are the red ones and your triumph belongs to everyone.

We are heart, heart, we will live

Our mission is far from sewing.

We are songs, heart, heart, nothing.

will stop our vision with work with

This passion

We are song, heart.

The time has come for you not to be your goal. We have

history, a new era

It is our mission.

And our hope

You will fly as high as a red eagle. Come on

expel you at all costs. Nothing to you

will stop.

Together we will achieve it.

We will be a part of your life.

We'll be there if you fall, we're red eagles

And your triumph belongs to everyone.

are

heart heart let's open our

mission to go far the bear

heart heart

enter our vision

With work, with effort and passion.

We rose again together and grew so much.

We changed history, we wrote everything.

Now it's your turn

And I'm sure you'll achieve it.

We will be a part of your life. We will be there and

Let us declare

Here are the red ones.

Thank you all for your patience.

It's time to give way to the first

this morning's conference. Our

The first guest is Roberto Curi

Pesantes, who will present the

Ecuador Digital and Cities Conference

intelligent, technology as the driving force

urban development and the

infrastructure.

Roberto is an engineer in the sciences of

administration. It has more than 17

years of experience in the sectors of

technology and telecommunications.

In the public sector he was minister of

telecommunications,

General Manager of the Corporation

National Telecommunications

and national director of transformation

technological. He is currently a minister of

Foreign Relations and Human Mobility

from Ecuador. We received it with a strong

Applause, please.

Good morning everyone.

It's a true privilege to be here.

academic space to debate the future

architectural, structural and

technological of our country.

Today, more than talking about technology as

a digital luxury, I would like to analyze it with

you in what it really is.

Is it the new steel or is it the new junk?

for urban development.

And the national government through

your digital agenda 2025-2030

We have drawn up a roadmap where

our physical structure and the

cyberspace works.

During the next few minutes I want to

to explain a little about what this policy is

state and how we redefine the concept

urban planning transforming our networks

transport, energy, connectivity and

state services in a system

integrated and efficient.

So thank you very much for the invitation

And welcome everyone.

To understand this process, I would like

to begin to analyze the paradigm

global urban development.

During the 20th century, let's say, the

The progress of countries was measured

exclusively by the volumes of

construction, how many kilometers of

roads were made, they were paved or

how many bridges were being built.

Today, uh

In the Digital Agenda 2025 we recognize

That vision is important, but it's

obsolete if that civil works operation

blind.

A highway or an electrical grid

Modern ones are inefficient if they are

static.

And the new paradigm transforms this

urban infrastructure on a platform

intelligent and predictive.

We no longer design, or we no longer want to design.

inert infrastructures, but networks

instrumented with sensors and with data

in real time that react under the

human demand

before a congestion or a

structural failure. In other words, we want that

be predictive.

Leave me alone because I'm realizing that

They are not watching the presentation.

Okay, I'll continue. The first great

A pillar of this urban development is

understand that the digital infrastructure

It is no longer a service, it is no longer a luxury,

but it's a, it's basically a

essential public service at the same level

that drinking water or that energy

high voltage electrical. Without

connectivity

There is no urban planning in terms of bandwidth

modern. In that sense, the government has

implemented several actions. In 2025

We're closed

the renewal agreements

of bandwidth and of and of

frequency of the radio spectrum

with the companies Claro, Movistar and

CNP.

From this point on, companies already have

legal certainty in order to be able to

invest and be able to migrate technology from

3G to 4G and from 4G to 5G. Having 5G will

will be able to enable the new ones

technologies that need this low

latency to be able to implement. From the

Similarly, we have agreements with

companies like Starlink to be able to carry

connectivity to rural areas and

urban-marginal areas where currently the

fiber optics or wireless networks do not

can arrive.

Ecuador also has a

optical fiber capillarity quite

optimal, which allows internet access

bandwidth to every corner

of the country. This 2025-2030 agenda prioritizes

that massive expansion of fiber optics,

spectrum consolidation for networks

5G with low latency so that

large development hubs can

precisely develop. And why is this?

important? It's because of these networks

They really are the backbone

invisible of the nation. It's the duct

where millions of data travel through

second, to be able to automate the

transport, logistics, industry.

We cannot build urban centers

competitive over connections that are

slow or unstable. The infrastructure

Digital is truly the foundation for

that everything else can happen.

And from this infrastructure

technology

This is where new ones begin to be enabled

technologies and the most noticeable impact

of this infrastructure in space

urban life occurs, for example, in the

mobility. On the digital agenda

We promote the transition to systems

known intelligent transport

technically as ITSs. And it's not about

modernize the fibers, sorry, the

vehicle fleets purely, but

implement layers of intelligence to

traffic control, road infrastructure

using vision cameras

artificial intelligence, algorithms

in order to manage the networks

traffic lights and being able to manage traffic

a smarter way. All this is

It gives information about these layers of connectivity that

I mentioned them a while ago, a

Wait a minute, right? all nodes

strategic trade ports

maritime, terminals, logistics

vials. 5G enables tracking

automated loading, the

optimization of transport routes

heavy and the drastic reduction in

operating times and costs,

simultaneously reducing the footprint

of coal. So, on top of these layers

digital infrastructure

all these develop and add up

new technologies such as artificial intelligence

artificial and, uh, the IoT, which is the

Internet of Things. Likewise, the

urban development is essential for a

challenge in resource management. This

agenda 2025-2030 that I mentioned to you

It incorporates a massive deployment in

internet of the scabs to be able to

to make critical infrastructure independent

of the country. For example, the sector

energetic. We are transitioning towards

smart grids or electrical networks

intelligent. These matrices monitor

urban consumption in microseconds,

They balance the loads autonomously

and efficiently integrate the

renewable energy sources. In

water infrastructure, the facility

of pressure and flow sensors in

pipes and in urban areas allow

detect underground micro-leaks earlier

of causing pavement breaks or

losses of millions of dollars in resources.

We went from corrective maintenance and

costly to predictive maintenance and

efficient.

Finally, efficiency too

It has to go not only in the areas

urban areas, but it also has to go

within the state apparatus. A

Comprehensive urban development requires a

efficient government. And one of the axes

central elements of the 2025-2030 agenda

It is the technology that eliminates the

bureaucratic barriers and development

of the works and competitiveness

productive.

For example, the massification of the

sovereign digital identity and the signature

electronic systems allow the State to operate

under a strict zero policy

papers. licensing procedures and

civil registries, customs,

public procurement. All this is

digitizes completely through

from the cloud. A state that automates,

Sorry, their processes don't just help to

to make public management more transparent,

but it reduces its operating costs

currents, freeing up resources

valuable economic resources to be

reinvested in physical infrastructure

nationwide.

In this sense, for a

urban infrastructure to be functional,

Your systems cannot operate in nursing homes.

isolated. It's useless to have a

ecosystem or a hospital system

modern if it does not communicate with a network of

road emergencies or with the control of

traffic. Herein lies the overall objective

of interoperability that also

we are promoting through the agenda

digital 2025-2030 and through the government

national.

the DINAP, which is the address of

interoperability in the country, its

The purpose is to enable interoperability

precisely all the functions of

State, from ECU 911, from

hospitals,

Sri, Ministry of the Interior, Customs,

so that everything can interoperate and

can count on the necessary information

to reduce bureaucracy and

government procedures.

an urban infrastructure so that it is

functional, as I said, they cannot operate

the isolated ones themselves. And the goal is 2030

It's that the different layers of everyone

these urban health ecosystems,

security, transport, customs and

energy share data in real time

under universal technical standards. AND

If a road emergency occurs,

Interoperability allows the

automatic route clearance system for

ambulances, notify the hospital about

the patient's arrival and divert the

traffic for freight transport in

millisecond. integration is the true

urban intelligence. This way

we are,

Let's say, merging technology and

digital infrastructure so that the

urban development of cities and

also of the country in general, it can happen

in an efficient and modern way. As

As I was saying nowadays, we don't measure a

country not only under the asphalt, but under the

technology that is the one that really

opera. behind that asphalt.

Now, with all this technology too

The issue of cybersecurity is important.

in critical infrastructures that

the country has and as we go

digitizing the roads, the

ports, water networks or systems

electrical, the safety of these

structures ceases to be solely

physical, but they also become

digital. And if we connect the country...

network, we also need to be able to

defend them online.

In that same way, on the agenda

digital 2025-2030,

cybersecurity and cyberdefense

We raised the security level

national where protocols are established

mandatory logical shielding for

all critical infrastructures of

country, for protection against

cyberattacks, the encryption of

industrial control networks and the

strict protection of the data of

citizens with conditions not

negotiable for development and

stability of our urban environment.

In conclusion,

This is a step-by-step process that...

We started in 2025 and that's how we did it

we have been developing from 2025 to 2026.

It focuses on consolidation

regulatory and the deployment of fever

of fiber optics and of and of the

basic infrastructure towards 2027 and

By 2028 we will see the maturation of these

5G networks and deployment

and fiber optics so that in turn

can be reached towards the areas of

transport and interoperability of

State services.

We aspire that by 2030 the goal will be

the consolidation of an ecosystem

mature, resilient, and highly urban

productive.

The digital agenda 2025-2030

You could say it's the plan

architectural aspect of our morning.

The challenge is in everyone's hands

We, in the classrooms, in the minds of

future engineers, urban planners and

programmers who will design the

platforms and structures that the

Ecuador needs for its future.

Let's remember that technology is the

engine, but the ultimate goal is always

It will be the same, which is to build a

most competitive, connected and

prosperous for all.

Thanks a lot

And thank you for the space you are giving me.

giving today. It's a pleasure to be here.

here.

and modernization.

Hello,

It doesn't happen.

How do I get back? There it is.

chat. Uh, yes, I am the manager.

general of a construction company and

I am also the general manager of the

Academy of Construction, which is uh

an entity that we have created to

precisely accelerate the curve of

learning and uniting theory with practice

practical, specifically for students,

for professionals and for people who are

in the environment. Today I'm going to talk to you

on construction and planning of

projects. This is a methodology,

a practice, a mindset that I

I have implemented in the company that

I lead. It's not unique, but I think they

It can serve as a reference, right? I

I start from a mindset, from a

principle, build your possible. That

What does that mean? That this depends

of us. There is an iconic phrase from

President John F. Kennedy, who to me

He was traumatized from a very young age, don't ask him.

your country what it can do for you,

but what you can do for your country.

So, it's under that mindset that...

we as citizens, as people,

We need to work. We shouldn't be at

in anticipation of what the

The government can give me, of the

conditions that may give. We are in

a world of competition, in a world

where the one who adapts best survives.

He's not the strongest, he's not the most

Big, not the fastest, is the one that

It adapts better. And for that we

we need to create our own

odds. So, under that

This is how I have been leading the process.

company historically. I entered this

I've been with this company for 26 years.

We depended on public tenders, on

contracts, from an entrepreneur coming to

hire us for a service of

construction. What's going on over there?

You compete on equal terms with

the rest of the people, what is known

a red ocean. We all got a little help there

the best possible prices. And

What happens when you give the lowest price?

You reduce your utility, that is, you reduce

your participation in the economy to

to be able to add value. This is how

Until 2014 we handled it this way and in

I said go ahead, we have to change the

situation. We have too

capacity, we also have ideas,

We can also generate; we are subjects.

credit, we are people who

They can get together with people who are

credit subjects, with investors,

with bankers, with entrepreneurs and

form part of a value chain.

So I start from a

maximum objective. My ultimate goal

My goal is to improve the quality of

people's lives. I'll move that to

the company as a guiding principle. Each

Whenever something doesn't go right, I try again.

I remember why I'm here. EITHER

In other words, to answer my why. Areas for improvement

the quality of life of people. AND

Every time I get out of alignment, I go back to

to reorient myself under that principle. But

To achieve that goal I need

the how. How am I going to do it? Go

to generate strategies. So, I

I start with a sustainable life plan and

I divide the strategies into the three axes

that are normal in a company that

He wants to contribute, he wants

add value. The social, the business

and the sustainability one. In the social

We have created schools within the company

training that we provide to our

own professionals.

We are, have been, or are members

members of chambers, of councils

business. We worry about the

health and occupational safety

of our workers.

We have a company blog where

where I am the main one, but also

There are other people who write, in

where we communicate different factors, not

business only, often

They are from anthropology, psychology,

market research, trend studies, it

that comes to mind, I'm reading a

book, if something occurs to me, I write a

blog, because what I'm trying to convey is

knowledge, transmitting ideas,

transmit filtered experiences under

From my perspective, that in some way

Another way might work. and a commitment

staff. We are looking for the

people have a personal commitment.

We have internal challenges, we face them

challenges of reading a book, challenges of

of physical condition, of nutrition, such as

to keep improving. I'm switching to

sustainable. In the sustainable, we

We look for, if we are already responsible for the

construction and generating projects

real estate agents, we have to be

responsible for ensuring they are sustainable,

that they are green, that they are

energy. As the architect said,

the architect Borja, we the art in

Architecture is the art that is

imposes. I call that the choice

architecture. Architects are the

responsible for where you will live, where

Where will they work?

the rest of the people. If you design

Something that isn't functional, people

within that environment they will not be

functional, that is, they will be less

efficient, less operational. So,

if we also apply that to being

responsible towards the environment,

We can merge the two things. can

a good architectural design will work,

good concept of functionality that

That will contribute to the economy and to

at the same time preserve the environment.

Circular economy, recycle

materials, reuse reuse

processes, uh, working with suppliers

that they recycle. We're part of that, so

how I develop internal staff,

I also develop and form alliances with

suppliers. In other words, I'm looking for a

supplier, because it's small, medium,

big, and I'm looking for alliances because this is

It's about winning, winning, it's not a zero-sum game.

In the past, companies

How did they work? Zero sum, I win.

You lose. That was the way

We work, that's why

We had to charge very little. At the moment that

we enter into a methodology

through a change in mindset, we seek that

We all win in the value chain. That

It ranges from the client, the builder,

the architect and the supplier.

So, we are developing

suppliers so that they leave

strengthening and also applying

best construction practices.

But none of this works if there isn't the

business axis. We live in a

economy, a capitalist economy,

socialist, however you want to see it.

Obviously, because I am a businessman,

I have a capitalist mindset, but

capitalist with a conscience. So, I

I started from the concept of adding

value, diversify, continuous improvement

fixed income and technology. Precisely that

that we heard from the minister. Add

What is value? is any benefit

that the customer perceives about the cost

that we can incur. This

It could be in an architectural design.

You create an architectural design

spectacular. If that's what it means to me, then...

The builder generates value for me because it

I can sell it better, I can sell it more

Expensive, I can optimize it, it goes

to be more efficient, uh, uh, in the

construction, they added value to me.

So, they created that first one.

first step to adding value.

Diversify your own practice that

We have in the company, we

We diversify into multiple projects,

in different segments. Today

We develop projects for

social interest, that is, housing

cheaper than they can be sold

to the economically active stratum.

We have office projects, me

I'm referring to office buildings, centers

commercial, we develop buildings

For clinics and hospitals, it is

In other words, we built the space

where another hospital will operate, but

under real estate methodology. It's not

A construction contract is a

real estate project where one of

The clients are a hospital, and so we go

diversifying into different things.

We are incurring in office warehouses,

We are investing in data centers.

We just heard the minister speak

of everything the government is

doing. What does that mean over there?

As I was saying, I don't expect the

government do something, but if the government

He's already doing it, he's giving it his all.

the steps, the symptoms to be able to

to generate opportunities, the entrepreneur

He has to go out after those

opportunities and capitalize on them.

just as an example with this

topic of artificial intelligence. It

We were talking here with some people.

Today, data centers

Artificial intelligence is in other

countries. If you are talking to GPT chat

that has the option to be able

to talk, you talk to the GPT chat, you

He answers, he often answers you with

Argentine accents. What does it mean? That

The data center is in Buenos Aires, in

somewhere, sometimes it's in Miami

also. So, the processing

data collects existing data

powered by the LMS, the largeu

models in the sector where they are and from there

They answer you. And I was joking with him in

a moment with someone with whom

We were talking. If you ask him where he's from

It's the best ceviche, maybe it will answer your question

the Peruvian. And maybe we

We want to answer the one from Machala, the one from

Manta, the one from Guayaquil, the one from Quito, the

From Cuenca, I don't know, I mean, wherever you're from

preference, but like language

He's trained in another region, he's going to

answer what they have said to him.

They have trained him in another

region. So, that kind of thing

We must take advantage of them. So what then?

Are opportunities opening up? Data centers

for AI here in Ecuador, AICS that is

They call. So, we're starting to

We're just starting to venture into this.

Let's get to work, we're uniting the

various actors, to the end consumer,

to the operator, to the landowner, to

intermediary. And that's where the academy goes

to be extremely important because now we have to

hire staff to be able to train

the models. So, the academy is in

teachers and students. Let's go between

people to start training these

models locally and there are already others

Companies, we are not the only ones who do it

They are doing. Continuous improvement, starting

from a philosophy that perhaps

Many find it difficult because of ego. I am the

Better yet, I know everything. That's a lie, nobody said it.

He knows everything, but nobody has learned everything.

There is always room for improvement.

If one enters into his life, into his company,

in his philosophy, in his class of

that you can learn something, you open the

mind. When you open your mind

You're definitely going to learn, and that's it.

your first your first opportunity to

improve. Fixed income is also something that

has implemented it in Etinar under the

Rates model, Real Estate Investment

Trust. In that we have been somewhat pioneers.

Well, I was kind of a pioneer in this area, but

Actually, that's already been invented in

The United States in 1960. So, what

What I've done is bring a good practice

business where people before

We used to build to sell, now

We build to rent. If that's arron

It generates a profit for you,

a capitalization rate, a cap rate,

as it is known in the United States

indicator, higher than the financial cost,

then it's better to build for

lease and not build to sell.

But that's something that needs to be done, that needs to be done

understand it. Why do I do it? Because the

the economy in construction is

cyclical. A project lasts me 2 3 4

years. With this model you can go up to 30

years. Then you manage to generate a

fixed income, which allows you to sustain

a team. If you hold a team,

you release you release resources to be able

to think and start the cycle again that

I'll explain more later. AND

technology, because they are definitely the

tools that we develop

within the company or we incorporate

from third parties to be able to

control our projects. Us

We are a company that today has more than

1600 employees and we manage 48

projects. Those 48 projects

We manage with five people because

We have technology, we develop

we develop or we complement each other

with people who handle BIM, Building

Information Modeling, which is a process

that uses certain tools of

AutoCAD, from Revit, which allows modeling,

It allows us to anticipate, it allows us to collaborate.

Many of you know him here in

the Construction Academy in

alliance with the Catholic University of

We are going to give courses in Cuenca

regarding their help with that. But

Behind that, we generate data. Those

We collect the data in some

software that we control from the

budget, the schedule, the

accounting, everything. So, may I

It can be solved with just a few people. That's why

that part of my strategy is to focus

in technology with a lot with a lot

force, with a lot of emphasis. Of

There's the cultural aspect, I'll discuss it later.

I'll see. I have a golden book that I

I call, which is a, a writing, a

a little book that I made for the

people know what the mentality is like, what

That's what I expect from people. I don't

I demand schedules, I don't demand anything else.

In particular, I demand results, uh the

communication that is synchronous. If I

I'm writing to you at 3 in the morning, because no

Don't be offended because it was an idea that came to me

occurred. You answer me at 9, respect that

my sense of urgency. topics that are already

of mindset of of of more than of of

To assert oneself as the leader of a team is

to be the leader of this team that

Let's all work for the same thing.

same north. The company's values,

motivation, discipline, teams

cross-cutting and specialized teams.

I'll tell you what that is later.

from there. It is a methodology that has

It has served me well, and obviously...

instead of telling people what

to do it, because they, that's why, that's why

They are part of a team, I can have

ideas, I can generate the

planning, but someone else is going to

to execute, another will develop the

programming. What I give them is a

north basically with a concept that

I call the numerator the denominator. In a

Company, you have two options to

generate in order to generate value. If you have a

a numerator that is already defined,

You have a billing that won't

to grow, then what you have to

optimization is the denominator. You have to

to have fewer people. But if you have one

people who are very good and you know that

You can take advantage of them, don't take it out

that team, but rather it grows

numerator. Let's focus on what

We can develop new projects,

That's why I need technology and everything else.

others. So, I've opted for that

option. There are companies that seek to be

much more efficient in the

managing what little they have. I

I prefer to be efficient in the little that I do.

I have it, but it's growing and growing.

numerator. And in that way the company, I

I was telling five people, five

people who control the works, but

Actually, there are 250 of us in the company.

professionals among architects,

engineers, economists, uh

professionals in various fields,

marketing people.

But the overhead, which is called the

fixed cost of the company, what what

not what I cannot, what I cannot

I want to reduce, nowadays we represent

less than 3%. Then 3% of the

global revenue in a company that

The industry is usually around 10%.

12 is surface and we have that

achieved with technology and with this

mindset. And from there, then, the

main indicators that I monitor

Three is basically schedule, quality

and costs. There are no more indicators

important ones, there are many others, but in

Actually, these are the three that I

I focus on them and they matter a lot to me.

Let's see if we can move on to the next one. He

life plan summary. I was telling them

Why, I was telling them how,

the what, what do I want to be. That's the vision.

The great thing we have is to be the

most prestigious construction company

and national recognition. I haven't said

the largest. This is what's been created here.

25 years ago. this vision that I

When I joined the company, the first thing I

What I did was lay out the basic concepts of

one of the book of a company. The

mission, vision, obviously the

His strategy has been changing, but the

The vision was always the same from day one. Does

I joined this company at 26, it's been 27 now.

to be the largest construction company

prestige, because prestige is what

It brings you the rest. It's not about being great, no

It's about being efficient, because maybe you are

Big, but you're a company

corrupt that appears in these, uh, I don't even know

how many green, green books that

They emerged during the era of corruption

with the brevity. We haven't left

None of that because we've focused on

To add value, we have focused on being

honest, in being

to contribute, to improve the quality of

people's lives. The life plan,

Basically, in three words, create

value, develop people and

to positively transform the city. The

strategic axes. These are the axes

strategic ones that I have. Have

engineering, architecture, real estate,

sustainability, social aspect and finance.

We build with value, with purpose

the types of growth that a

company. You have the types of

growth, organic growth,

You grow according to the

contracts that they give you,

pipeline of new projects, already

You start planning to have towards

Go ahead and tell us what you're going to do. We in

Etinar, what do we do? We are promoters

real estate. And we really are

builders, but we developed the

real estate promotion line for

to be able to anticipate what we are going to

build. So, I know what I'm going to do.

to build in 2030. I don't depend on

government construction contract,

from the fifth bridge, I don't even know how long, no, to

the best and most competitive in that, but I know

what I'm going to build, what I have

controlled for the next 3 cu 5

years. Overlapping projects. I'm going to

I'll tell you later what I mean.

I mean by that thing there. Innovation and

new businesses. always thinking

ahead of topics that may

can go out and this not only does not

Take it as a company, how easy it is to do it in one

company. This company has had its

cycles, where he has been very bad, has

It's been great, but this is it

mindset, this way of working

in which from an isolated person

can get together with two or three people,

find an investor and develop

with innovation. Today the idea is worthwhile

more than capital. Remember that.

If you go to a bank, obviously you have

that is eligible for credit. No, I'm not.

credit subject, my friend. Yes. The

The bank will lend you money at 8%, at 7%, at

9%, to 10% if the project is good. But

The idea could be worth much more. An idea

It can generate 20, 30% for you, and if you do it

With profitability, it can generate 18%

for 30 years. Then we must

To innovate is to create, to seek

new opportunities that do not exist in

the market. Our evolution,

Obviously, it belongs to our foundation.

we have consolidated, we have

expanded, but that's where we started with a

exponential growth since

We integrate design and construction. Is

In other words, it starts adding value

architect, I suggest that I am going to

to explain what methodology I

I have something to say about it. Innovation of

project of new model projects,

ways to grow. Remember that I

I tell you, I am a construction company,

That is, there is the second box,

to execute works, time, cost, quality,

etc. But in order for me to grow I have done

what is called vertical growth

forward, that is, I got into the

distributor value chain. Before

For me, the distributor was a promoter,

So I became a promoter because I

I control the developer's margin and now

I control the builder's margin. Already

I do not sacrifice the builder because I am

myself. I say builder, you are going to

receive a 10% margin and the promoter

I'll give it 20%, but that's 20% out of 10.

that the other one is going to win. Obviously

There are structures, trusts, two

companies, but each one contributes

He contributes his own part. And then I realized

if someone is buying one from me

property because that someone is a

investor who is going to lease it, I

I figured this must be a good business. He

This guy is buying me at the price of

market and about the market price

where I have a 20% margin per

To put it that way, this guy is going to start

surrender it to someone. It means that

someone is paying enough to

that this investment is attractive. As

That investment is attractive, what if

We explored it and began to explore it

and we started getting into that and today in

We also operate real estate today

through this RATS modality where

We build and sell long-term

with direct credit for 10 years, 12 years,

We offer a 12% rate of return or

We rent them out, which generates between 12,

18 depending on what is achieved, because

On the other side there is someone who wants

also to gain some advantage. AND

Then I realized if there is anyone who

is renting this office,

This place, this production center.

It must be good, because if the

The guy is paying a rent of $25,

So it must be generating something.

Then I started to explore

in the in the in the in the revenue share

which is called, at the entrance of the

customer who is going to rent. I say that I

I'll lower the rent, I'm not charging you $20 anymore.

I charge you per square meter of rent

15, but I charge you 10-20% of your

billing. Then I go into the

the business opportunity, the customer

And with that you begin to create value towards

back. And once these three steps are under control,

Remember that I was telling you about the about the about

denominator. The denominator is also

important. So I say, what are you

It seems if we're doing a

Vertical growth backwards? Is

In other words, now we're going to get into the

production value chain.

So, as we've grown and with this

This strategy has allowed me to be one of

the main buyers of concrete,

of steel, of elevators, of

porcelain tiles, paint. So,

I mean, I don't need a...

intermediary distributor. I can

arrive directly at the factory. He

started making agreements directly

with factories. I started locally with the

major steel mills, with the main

concrete mixers. I'll buy the cement now.

directly in the factories, no longer

at distributors. I left because of salanatos

I went to Italy, I went to Spain, I closed

directly contracts with certain

People, uh, faucets, sanitary ware

directly in Spain with brands

like Rock and you're right here

now without intermediaries. Obviously

I need someone to manage me. Is

the same distributor I tell, "Hey,

Here, here you no longer have to pay.

inventory, you no longer have the cost of

Opportunity, isn't it? Here I'm going to

In other words, this is what I need to buy.

I'll pay you a Facebook, but I'll buy it.

directly. He saves himself the

financial risk, the cash flow is saved

box because I buy directly.

So also if I keep growing

vertically forward, also

we have begun to grow backwards in

different suppliers

still key strategies, right? Not in

all because it's not worth seeing each other

to get involved in everything, at least to

us and for our capacity.

This is what I was telling you, architect

engineering. This is a methodology

extraordinary that we have

developed in the company where not

only together the architecture in the

engineering, but I go backwards

to understand what the client needs.

What is this here, what is it that I

Does it allow you to do that? I first evaluate the

market. What is the market? He

land. The land is located in a

sector where offices are sold

mostly at 2,200 per m². are

combined with commercial premises. Here

No houses work in this place, no.

Hospitals function because there are already hospitals.

many around. I study the market, of

I apply the regulations there. What do I

Allows? What prevents me from doing the

municipality? a 10-story building,

20 stories, five stories, uh, so many

density, both occupancy coefficient

of land, of land use,

restrictions, uh, in the ceded areas

to the municipality, if they require or if there are advantages

Green, there are often advantages

green, having all five facades, eh good

Places with a good rooftop, like here

I've seen that there are a lot of them in Cuenca,

That, uh, in certain sectors, uh, is very

Highly sought after by banks, they give you

better conditions. With that I create a

feasibility and before it enters

architecture team, this from here to

It takes me 5 minutes to determine if yes

I'm going to join a project or not, and I already have

even the numbers of what's going to

happen. Because? Because that's how I am

builder, I have data through my

systems, I know how much it might cost me

a building of so many meters

squares that are sold on the market

so much. I have my factors. The land

It should weigh up to 10%, the construction

It should weigh between 45 and 52%. the

indirect 20, the difference is

usefulness, if that gives 20% it's good, if not

not that simple. So, when I

I develop this, only then do I incorporate

I say to an architect,

"Look, I need to build so many meters

squares, it has to have so many

efficiency in sales, it has to have

So many premises, the offices have to

Being 45, the locals being 60, I don't know, I

I first develop the model here and then...

I present it with architecture

When I already have plans, I already have

renders, which can be renders made

uh still uh very very simple, like a

kind of like a model, actually, like

a prototype

We then moved on to the team of

marketing to validate it. Once

that with the marketing team

We validated, we went to market. Yes, that's it.

We structure trusts, alliances

and we went out to market. While the

architecture team advances to a

that we call the design phase

architectural. I haven't logged in yet.

develop plans or engineering eh

structural, that's going to cost me.

What I'm trying to do is make my [process] more efficient.

investment, not to spend more than 1 or 2% of the

total project in this first phase.

When I finally reach a point

equilibrium means that already in the

In the next 6 months I have to start

build. Then I came back and we started to

interact between architecture and

engineering. That's where it really begins

the final model of

project, that's where we look for the

efficiencies, that's where the

Engineers, that's where the la la la come in.

ideas, knowledge from experience

for that product, that prototype that I

I had a digital mockup, I could already do it

build and make it efficient. When

That's already decided, the process begins

construction and we, well

We completed our work.

This here is just for...

To recap, I don't just do it to

me as a promoter, for my own

projects. When a customer calls me

to build, that is, the last one

the last, the last link of the

chain, I do that same analysis to

my technical team, because if we

We came out above 55%, which I know

that he can sell because I do the

market research for him, I mean, let's see,

This gentleman who is hiring me...

office building has so many meters

squares for sale, in the market

It's selling for 2,200, I guess.

It's selling for 2,200, I estimate its

maximum selling price, I mean, I have

than aiming for 52%. If I'm at 52%

He's going to hire me. If I'm around

If I get above 52%, they're not going to hire me or they're going to...

negotiations will be more difficult and will

open up to looking for other builders. No

I want it to open. Then I go into

handle that and come back without me

as requested by the client, to do engineering

value with my in-house engineers or

external. We developed an optimization

And I tell the client, "Look, I'll tell you

I can do it at this price that I know

It represents 52, 51, but I have

optimized that design. By optimizing that

In design, I capture a bit more margin. Already

I'm not in the 5%, I'm moving up to 10%, to 12%.

So this methodology, I...

I apply this when I am a developer or when

I am simply a builder, because if

I understand my client, with that I

I achieve, I achieve, uh, uh, a contract of

construction.

Let's move on to the next one. This is what remained.

One back. One back.

One back.

Say a prayer to that one. All of this is

possible with the team. We in

To get, we have a, a, a

Wei mentality. In other words, there is no "me" here.

There is no me, there is no us. And I do a lot.

emphasis on that over there, because I am not

I am a civil engineer, not an architect.

I am a planner, a strategist,

financial, I have a financial advisor who knows

I have a better understanding of finance than I do.

an accountant who knows more about accounting

I have a marketing person

who knows more about marketing than I do, who

that market research that I do in

5 minutes, it's done quickly

reviewing what exists on the market,

going into Google, going into the

specialized real estate websites,

But they know the customer,

They reach the customer. So, Wi is

a mindset where everything is done as a team,

Those 250 people generate jobs for those...

13 other construction workers

that we use. We are the

Second, last year we finished as the

second largest formal employer of the

construction. Formal, I emphasize, because

We affiliate 100% of our

workers, which is not a practice

very common in the industry. What is it

What are we looking for with the team? the impact

what we want: time, cost, quality,

security, innovation, experience of

customer. What are the five pillars

of this culture? Trust. Yesterday

We were talking with friends here

with the group and I was telling them a

experience I had at university

when I first entered a

university in the United States. I them

He asked, "What backs the dollar?" Me

He made me take out a two-dollar bill, he made me

Turn it over and it said, "In God we

"trust." And I say, "What does that mean?"

That this is based on trust. The

The United States economy is based

in confidence. The economy in general

It is based on trust. A banknote does not

It is something other than a promise of payment. Yeah

Do you think that bill will do you any good?

to buy you some chewing gum at the store,

You pick it up. Otherwise, no. That's why

Our Sucre, those who are young, no

They know, but our Sucre was devaluing

day by day, that is, a moment arrived

which was devaluing by almost $0,000 daily. EITHER

So, you had 1000 Sucres here, you were leaving

to buy chewing gum, you couldn't anymore

the following day. So, why the Sucre

It lost confidence, the dollar continues with

Trust, the economy is based on trust.

The relationships are based on trust, the

Business is based on trust. Collaboration,

We need to collaborate among ourselves

people, whether internal or external.

Collaboration is success, the

responsibility, learning and

purpose. Let's move on to the next one.

This is a formula that I also

I have at the company. Many people

Sometimes it's hard for her, but hey, hey, I understand her

from the outside. But in reality they are

taken from books and I am 15, 20 years old

applying them. We at the company

You ask me what it's like

organizational chart, it is not an organizational chart

manager, financial manager, manager

administrative, legal manager, no. That is

a structure that evidently for

externally it has that

presentation, but internally it has

These three axes, these three types of

organizational charts. The first organizational chart is

Apple-style, it's managed in silos in

where we are with a team of

architecture, a finance team, a

commercial budgeting team and

construction. When I am

developing a project, I don't need

More than a person, I need a

architect. Because in the methodology of

architect engineering, I do it myself

general survey or the architect

"Look," I tell him, "this is the CCUs."

What do you think about this? Learn more here

tall, shorter, or the height, I need

operating rooms. It has to be 380 and something,

They're not just high-rise offices

Free of 245, I don't know, hotels,

You develop the product and you don't have to

involve the other 250 nor the

another 1500, considering the

workers, one or two people, nothing

further. Once that phase passes, the

architect and you start working with the one from

finance. In the arms finance sector, the

topic, the meetings with the banks. A

Once you make that feasible, you move on to

budget team and so on.

value chain. When it's already done

The project has been developed and is now going to

To begin, enter a structure of

Nvidia. Nvidia is the company

number one in chips, in EPUs, the

which is precisely what it serves to do

data processing. It began for

perform graphics processing with

the topic of video games. Nowadays

It is the base on which the

artificial intelligence. So that

I call the same methodology

working in cross-functional teams. Me too

There, yes, together with all the actors, together

to the architecture leader, leader of

budget, to the sales leader, to the

construction leader and we work

simultaneously where here my

Private participation is already happening

least. My participation more

This is important. Here it's less.

because I'm already part of a team and then

finally when construction begins

if it is a hierarchical structure. Yes, that's it.

There has to be a structure, like me

I mean, la la in the Napoleonic style

Bonaparte, because you have a general and

You have the entire army below you, then

who has to follow orders, because there

Yes, you already have everything pre-planned in the

part of planning and programming and

What needs to be done is to run it and

For that, we need to be systematic and

efficient. So this is a

methodology that I use to move in the

the map of this organizational chart

depending on the state in which it

find my project, at the stage where

that my project is found. Let's go to the

following.

This is an operating cycle, for many.

It could be, uh, uh, common sense.

I want to emphasize that. Investment, process,

sales, delivery. This is a cycle that doesn't

never. The investment is what

activates the cycle without investment. In the

Investment could be an idea, remember that.

that the idea is worth more than the capital.

So, investment can be a

idea. You arrive with an idea

spectacular to develop a center

commercial in a place where you have

an opportunity detected because there is no

larger larger uh uh infrastructures

in this regard. You present it to a team

and you activated a cycle. the

execution, everything we just did

speaking from a design perspective, the

implementation,

the consequence, the achievement of

the funds, a bank, an investor,

going out to market it, sales for

recover the box and the delivery of the work

which is already the process of creation

of the product or construction. This,

Basically, it's capital, management, and

market. The other day I was reading a book

from Elon Musk's, where he has

an extraordinary mindset of

trying to contribute to the world, but he

He says, "Without the markets I can't

"Get it." So, he's not a type

that he loves markets very much. He is

He is clearly the richest man in

world, but he takes advantage of the

markets to raise funds and

power following uh uh trying to of

to pursue its purpose, considering that

when he sold PayPal, which he developed

PayPal technology, it sold 200

millions and spent the last penny on

create Tesla. So he's the kind of guy who

definitely not money, because it's not the

What moves it, moves it, something else else. He

The market is necessary for everyone.

us. Even though we have a

fundamental purpose, then, to improve

the quality of life of people,

We need this market and those are

learnings that I have

I have learned it, so I pass it on to you. Come on

next time

box curve. Many people say, "Ah, it's

"He can do it because he has money." Les

I say that's how she behaves

box curve. The white one is the

construction. That's what I need

build a project and that's how

My funds are coming in. So,

Who makes the difference? That deficit

I need to leverage my finances.

in a bank or with an investor,

considering again the cost of

capital is the cheapest in this

process. A bank will charge you 8, 9,

10%, 12% if you're not a very good subject of

credit, 12% is still less than the

20 that you're going to earn, and in the 20th it is

including the 12th. That is, possibly

If you add that to it, then you would be

in 25. So, it must be understood that a

The project is always cash flow deficit

And you have to leverage that. When

You break that curve, that's when you start to

earn money. So, that's why

We overlap projects, because

In this cycle I have projects that go with

a deficit flow, but there are others that

They're almost finished and I'm entering a

virtuous circle that is similar to the

that we saw from this cash cycle

that we were presenting, right? And here

You see it, the operating cycle,

the cash curve and the projects

overlapping. What do I mean by a

overlapping project? a project is born,

It grows, it gets there at a point, and if not

You take on another project, you still have your

infrastructure, you start spending

that money. So you have to put

another one before it starts to

to be deficient. And there is a

Peter principle concept. He

The Peter Principle is when a person

reaches their level of competence. The

The company also has a principle of

Peter. We're all going to reach a level

of incompetence. If we get into 50

projects, maybe we're not so

efficient as if we did six or

seven. But if you do six or seven, then...

It's better to enter a low cycle and have

that start to take out then the the

denominator, you have to start taking out

people. So, if people are good,

You should focus on creating new ones

cycles. And this here is a is a is a

The cycle is a process that never stops.

until the day that unfortunately

God guide us, we as individuals,

We should never stop trying

to produce, contribute, and generate value,

because the longer it goes

As we go along, we make mistakes that

We are constantly improving them.

continued. We are committed to that continuous improvement.

gaining experience. that experience

It needs to be passed on to the

young people, to the students who are coming

back so they can speed up their course

learning and this process returns

that never stops. So, I think

That concludes my presentation.

I want to remind you, then, that all this

It works with a greater purpose. The fact that

I have chosen for myself, which can be

wide, gigantic, maybe then

dreamer, it is about improving the quality of

people's lives. So I hope that

I hope this has been helpful to you and that

has indeed improved for them

quality of life today.

Thanks a lot.

It's time to welcome Roberto Stark

From Mexico, who will talk to us about

tall structures on land

seismic.

He is a Mexican civil engineer and one of the

main Latin American authorities

in structural design,

seismic engineering and reinforced concrete

and prestressed. With over 35 years of

experience has led projects of

high complexity, contributing to

international regulatory development.

He stands out as a professor and lecturer

for promoting engineering based on

technical rigor, ethics and judgment

professional. Welcome.

Thank you so much. This, sorry, they'll have the

changing table.

Yes. Well, well, well. Yeah,

This one is like that.

No,

It's not there. You don't have another one

because it doesn't change

This is because

Yeah.

Or do they want me to change something?

you.

No no.

If there's nothing to give him. Yeah.

I'm telling you, give it to them.

Next, right?

Yes, because otherwise they do the difficult things. Yeah,

It's perfect on the first try.

Well, this one a little bit, sorry, the

technical details.

This sounds very strange.

Okay, can you hear me okay? All the way there

back?

Yes. Perfect. Well, um, well, many

thanks to the Catholic University of

Cuenca, thank you for this invitation, and for me it is

a great honor and also impressive

venue where I'm going to give this

conference. Hey, I've been lucky.

of giving lectures, more than 1000

conferences in 24 countries. Uh, but without

However, let me tell you a story. He

first country where I gave a lecture

southern Mexico, always given in States

United States, in Canada, it was Ecuador in

Guayaquil, a course I gave in the

Catholic University of Guayaquil, and which for me

I hold him in my heart because he was the

first one who opened doors for me that

There were more important countries to the south

of those that were in the north and from there

Well, I gave almost everything.

Latin America.

Okay, let's see here.

different aspects. I say, this is

a forum, mostly for students,

which makes me proud and

It's always a pleasure to express my

knowledge, because to the future

generations. These are going to be the ones that

They're really going to be the next ones

cities. These are the ones we are going to criticize.

the current cities and we are going to be

best cities. So, what is the

What are the problems of cities? Well, the

population, the high density. And you

You see it, we suffer from the traffic, from the

infrastructure shortage,

eh of the problems of the

infrastructure, pipe breaks,

This breakdown in communication,

etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So,

What do we need to do in the cities?

Densify them. And to be able to

Densifying means building vertically.

Cuenca is still very flat, but

It can no longer continue to grow horizontally.

Because otherwise we're going to reach a point

in which the transfers

They are very important, we lose many

hours of life. So, next,

Sorry, I don't have the changing table, it's not there.

working. This was something that made me

reflect on last year. I went to Turin

for some tests we were going to do on

some concrete beams, sorry,

that sometimes I say, here I know they use

more concrete. Well, concrete is the same.

that specific. So, when I say,

concrete is concrete. This, and we went to

Turin, and we had time because...

Another day we arrived in the afternoon, the other

day was the rehearsal and apart from that was

the city's national day. So

It was very interesting. I went to, sorry,

Uh, one after that. We arrived at the very

center where all the buildings are located

historical and the first question, what

Why is that building there? a building of

height. I said, it seemed very

interesting. Look, back then,

When was it built?

1950

Forgiveness, 1940.

And I was telling them,

"And what is this building doing here?" I mean,

I understand that it needs to be densified,

I understand that the building needs to be built.

at his peak, but what does he do?

competing with the main square?

Do you know who did it? Benito Mussolini

It was a power problem, it wasn't a

economic problem, it wasn't a problem

Thinking about the city was a problem

of power, a symbol of power. What are you doing

there with a pedestrian zone, streets

narrow?

It doesn't make sense at a city level. Yeah.

However, the next one, now yes

Let's go to another part of the city, nearby

from the university, in fact, and see

wide roads, means of

communication in which people who

If you want to go downtown, you can go easily.

So, I understand the concept that

We can do things better. the next one.

So, what do we have to do for the

structural design? I dedicate myself to

structural design, basically.

So, I have to define the

forces. It's not the same to design alone

for forces of nature that

gravitational forces.

And I always say, gravitational forces

I do it even in my sleep.

Because? Because it's the only thing we have

What we need to see is how to distribute the forces

to resist gravity. It's that easy.

But the forces of nature

We have all possible variables.

Do you agree? What is wind?

which obviously in Ecuador thanks to its a

its geographical position, because the winds

They are very moderate, very, practically

There's no wind, is there? 30 km/h, when a

The hurricane reaches 200 km/h, that is, we are

talking about a completely different scale. and

in earthquakes,

That's where we do have that issue in the

Ecuador, right?, and in other parts of

world. So, those are the two effects and

They are very different, even though it is the

nature, they are completely different.

The wind is something I can predict,

I can at least protect life

human, however, an earthquake is not. he

An earthquake can happen at any moment and

I have to be prepared for it.

TRUE? Yes. Well, one of the

examples that I always say are unique in

the world, but you have to know and you have to

to understand and why engineering

Mexican women have been so recognized

globally, because nobody in full

The judge decides to build the city

largest in the country on a lake.

And it wasn't the Aztecs, eh, it

I confess. The Aztecs were in the

center, on the islets, that's where they had their

constructions

And when the Spanish arrived, it was necessary to

crush the native culture and

Then they started saying, "Look, that

"They're building on the lake."

They didn't understand what the islets were and

They started to dry up that lake.

The next one. And here you see, see it

that they were advanced. As they always say,

The Europeans were saying, it's not that here

They were pure barbarians and pure people who

I didn't know. Yes, I knew. That dam of

Saalcoyot built it. And do you know why?

that? To separate fresh water from water

salty. To the left is the water.

To the right is the fresh water, to the right is the salt water.

What is the purpose of fresh water? It's life. There

They even made floating farms

on the right side. It's useless.

The next one.

Because of that, look, that's the glass that

We have there where we see the periods

or the movement of the ground. AND

obviously where we have the center of

That lake has the longest periods and

This works like a bucket of jelly.

That's why we have earthquakes everywhere.

sides, wherever. In Mexico City

There are no tremors, but we feel it.

everywhere. And we need to understand that

phenomenon to know the seismic design.

And why are they going to Mexico to learn? Well

That's why, because we really have things

unique. First, our movement is

sinusoidal. We see in the books

that sinusoidal motion and always

Our teachers say, "No, this is

theorist. Actually, that doesn't happen. In

It does happen in Mexico. The next one.

That's the city. In the 60s we built

the Latin American Tower, which is the

tall building, which was the tallest building

high in a high seismicity zone in

the world. Nobody dared because

They said, "How can there be a

tall building in a high-rise area

seismicity." in 1920 so you understand, the

the first regulation, which was when it was made

the first regulation in Mexico, in the

Mexico City, and do you know what it said?

They only built no more than three

floors.

Because? Because we were afraid that

a tall building suffered more from the

tremors. That's false. The buildings. Yes

They ask me where I want to feel

an earthquake, if I go, there will be an earthquake

earthquake in a 50-story building. AND

Everyone admires each other. Why in

50 floors? Because I'm safer here.

than in a medium-sized building by the

soil characteristics. So,

This was Mexico City in the 60s,

the next one.

And there stands the Latin American Tower. 140

m. Now it already looks like a building

It's normal within the city, but...

He broke all the paradigms. They don't have

hydraulic jacks and I don't know what else

They put out strange theories. It was a building

designed with a California earthquake

which has nothing to do with it, but it was the

The only thing that existed in 1940 was the earthquake that

It was detected, and then they did it.

Thank God he was so tall that it worked out

with the tremor they assumed was going to

have. Notice how they say, like in

football now that the World Cup is on,

No? They say a goalkeeper without luck is no good.

goalie. Equally structuralist as not

He who is unlucky is not a structuralist.

No? So the personality that designed

This, Leonardo Sebart, this one who, well,

He guessed right, they checked him in Illinois with

Newark and Newmark said, "It's okay the

building." And they were both wrong. And

Another error is based on the first one,

Well, what they thought was the ground

firm, which was 30 m, there is a 2 m layer

of compacted sand and that's where it's resting. AND

What happened? That it has been drilled, has

drilled the piles into that hard layer and

Thanks to that, the building sinks anyway

than the city. If it had been supported

There, what we would have seen is that the

building as if it were emerging. AND

It's not that it's emerging, but everything

It's sinking all around. The city

It sinks 10 to 15 cm, uh, sorry, to

year. Imagine, 10, 15 cm. In 10 years

It is 1 m.

So we need to understand that

phenomenon and see the surroundings in order to be able to

This means having a usable building.

Let them continue and that's how it's growing.

Where are the buildings growing?

tall? On that avenue. The avenue that

Come there, there's the tower

Latin American on the right, is the

Reforma Avenue, where it is permitted that

have whatever height they want. And why

that? Because we have the infrastructure.

We have to understand that, right? Nothing more than

the technical part. We have five

blocks from a main subway line,

which is actually subway line one.

We have all the infrastructure, all

the networks, the drinking water and everything.

That's where we have to do the rest

and communicate with the rest of the city.

And besides, there are always demonstrations in

that one on that avenue. So, I already know.

It became pedestrianized again, didn't it? There is no power left.

that traffic can be allowed. The next one, by

favor. And there we see how it grows in

buildings on that avenue. The next one,

the next one.

No, it doesn't work. Ah, well, there it is. That

What's happening to us? Our earthquakes

They mainly occur on the coast. No

We necessarily have another type of

earthquakes, but as you can see, they are decreasing

as the colors keep changing and

We arrived in Mexico City, which is

in the central part and that's where it amplifies

precisely

This is the ground, the drum. However, there are

one thing we didn't recognize a few years ago

years and we have seen it and we have

used for future projects. By

That's very important for you in the

school, forget the rules,

Not that they don't respect them, forget about it.

regulations, start learning the

basics, the fundamental concepts, because that

That's what, as Guillermo said, we have

that we adapt

And if we know the concepts

basics, we can make the adaptations

that we have to do for the new ones

designs

And one thing we recognized through,

I'm going to tell you what we've done right now.

currently done with the buildings, which

This is the instrumentation that I'm going to show you.

Finally, we can see that...

The ground, okay, is so soft

It amplifies, but it also dampens.

So that interaction that he

we call it soil structure and that

We were saying, "What is this?", well

Just imagine that the building

It has some basements. Those basements have

perimeter walls and that one is in

contact with the ground. When it moves

What does the building do with the ground? is

a natural damping

and reduces the forces by up to 50-60%

that we didn't take into account before and

Obviously we're going to make better designs

more efficient taking that into account. The

what follows.

And here we see the entire series of tremors.

Mexico is within Mexico, Japan, and Chile

possibly, and there's Indonesia too

many tremors. Possibly in the

world where we have more frequent

tremors, which gives us a great

advantage. I mean, people don't want to see

tremors. Well, the engineers did.

because we learn more every day. That

Did this happen in Venezuela? And he gave it very briefly,

I wasn't prepared, but since

happened. Venezuela's last earthquake was

in 1967.

In '67 we didn't have the knowledge

current seismic design.

Then they made their

modifications like everyone else does.

Don't think you live on another planet. It

They do it right away, they do it right away

adaptations. However, what happened

They made the adaptations, but

very early. Because? we didn't have the

knowledge that we currently have and

then comes a dictatorial regime that

Well, it didn't allow progress, did it? The one that

go on,

Sorry, we see that...

characteristics of earthquakes are very

different. An earthquake is not like an earthquake

another one, and we have to acknowledge that.

So when we design a

We need to design a building for

different scenarios. Watch the earthquake

from 2017 and curiously if they want

to feel an earthquake in the city of

Mexico, go on September 19th. It is in

the only country that has had three earthquakes

the same day. So, 2017, 2085,

September 19. And see the difference.

total of how the damage was. The damages

In 2017 they were located from north to

south in a period of soil of a

second.

However, in '85 it was basically in

the lake area the collapses, damage

and collapses concentrated in a period of

2 seconds. So, imagine, the

Norma said, "In 2 seconds it's there

peak, after 2 seconds it doesn't happen

nothing, you could live in less than 2 seconds

Okay, and then suddenly 2017 tells you, "No,

You don't know what, the 2 seconds

They disappeared, you're not a second."

And what we calibrated for 2

seconds, now it's one second. That's why

We need to understand the concepts well,

TRUE? Yes.

Well, look, this is going to happen everywhere

the major cities in Ecuador. Already

It began, especially in Guayaquil, with the

Maximum Tower that they gave me

opportunity to participate, which

I was very happy because for me my

passion after all part of

structures, because they were the buildings

high places where I've had to play, well, uh

participate in virtually all of those

buildings of some kind, right? AND

So some are in the majority in

Mexico City and then in

Monterrey, which is the second largest city and

Guadalajara follows, this one is next,

the next one.

And we see now the last ones that we

We built the COI tower that's there, that one

It was our design and we broke them all

paradigms and there is always something to be done,

You as students always have

to see what we can do differently. The

The construction industry is a

very conservative industry. Because?

because they are afraid. It's there

a lot of money involved and sometimes doing

a modification

It's not that simple. Thank God, all

my life in the 48 years that I have

In design, I have always broken paradigms.

I'm telling you, why can't we do something?

better?

We're going to do this, we're going to use

These new materials, we're going to

use other theories and always

have that concern, don't think, "Ah, it

I did well." Once we were in a

There were two engineers at the meeting. I them

I did a project review and

Two engineers were talking amongst themselves

them, the one from soil mechanics, the

geotechnical engineer and structural engineer. AND

They were, do you remember this project and

Do you remember the other project? treating

to impress me and the owner

who had done many projects and

So they had me fed up, I mean,

I already said it, I already told you, listen, I already

I understood that they had done something in their

life many projects, but they have

done well,

They didn't say anything again.

So, in Torrecoy,

the tallest building at that time

It was 230 m high. Torreco was going to

have 280

m high.

Up until the 230, all had been from

steel, metal structure or

compound.

None had been completely

concrete.

We did it with a signature in

New York. The first question that I

They did it in New York, Roberto, you then

You know the Mexican market,

What are we going to do it with? About what

material? The one who asked me was

specialist in metal structures and

I told her, "Ania, make it out of concrete." Of

Specifically, "Yes, we're going to do it

Specifically, but it's not that they're the

Tall buildings are not made of concrete.

"We're going to make it out of concrete." And so it was.

concrete.

Because? Because it's cheaper.

We must also provide this in schools.

an emphasis on learning everything that is

the theory of concrete. There is concrete

Understanding it isn't easy, is it? But

It is the cheapest material and it must be

to know, and one must know, the mixtures, and there are

to know that today we are still in the

school, and I say, I don't want to get involved in

They were lazy, but they still taught me

Portland cement.

Try to get the cement now.

Portland. It no longer exists, there is no more

Portland cement. And they taught you in the

Portland cement school. And I speak to them

to my friends who do the

I get specific and say to them, "Hey, and where

"What happened to the Portland cement?" Well, in the

books and in past books. the one that

go on.

Oh ok. And after COY, well, it's already known

They also built two other buildings.

only concrete, because you already saw it.

that it is possible to build a building of

concrete so high and right now it's

building one 400 m high that

It will be among the 100 buildings

tallest in the world. This building that

I had to check it; it was the first one that was good.

the highest in Latin America also in

His time, about 25 or 30 years ago,

No, like 30 years and it was done

repairing shock absorbers because he was

the trend of installing shock absorbers, of

reduce the forces because that was

efficient according to them.

First, they've already had to change the

shock absorbers because they were like

by car, the Taylors who called him,

which were pistons this big and

The oil leaked out without shaking.

It hasn't worked; it moves more than others.

buildings that we were able to review and that

They don't have shock absorbers that are there

in front of this building. But it was

something new. I proved that I didn't

No shock absorbers were needed,

But they had already sold the news in the

Discovery Channel, and you can see that there...

It's cloudy and all that,

Well, in the end it didn't work at all.

No? $10 million thrown away

trash, right? But anyway, next time. AND

There it was, that was the shock absorber.

there in the middle of that cross. It's not from

This building, but here I had a photo

This one from that device, and there it is. Were

adas and Taylor. This was from some plates

made of neoprene. The truth is no longer used. It

which follows

It's over.

Let's see,

They already saved about 80 slides,

No? If you want, you can turn off presentation mode.

and pass it on. That's all, but upload it for

above.

I had never given such a lecture before.

fast. The next one, the ...

go on

Upwards, upwards, upwards

Upwards, upwards, upwards.

Up,

Up, up, up.

Further up.

Now down.

More, more, more, more, more,

more, more, more, more.

That's why I like to present in my

computer, but already there. Well, like

Come on, it's already a 200m tall building

Height is an everyday thing and

In fact, it's a good height. When

We're going to decide what height

We have the building, we have to do

Well, many of the things he does

Guillermo, right? Conduct studies

financial and not just saying, "I'm going to

to be the tallest building in the world."

Ask the United Arab Emirates about it.

Bush Khalifa, what are they doing with that

The building is not even finished, it's not even complete.

Maybe it's not occupied yet because it

Did they make it very big? But it was to prove

The world, he was an icon of the city and

is. It's an icon of the city. Waterfront

Center in Chile is empty.

So, to build a building just for the sake of building and

Doing great things, not just for the sake of doing great things

works. A study needs to be done

former. Don't move it anymore. But another one of

The things you have to see are that no

We can make boring buildings. Yeah

When you go to New York, you're surprised.

because of the large buildings, because they are

Boring buildings are buildings

square, well, rectangular. And right now

Let's see the difference in the new ones

buildings. This is quite a building

complicated. Because? Because they are bodies

that are born, there are three, in fact, and that

They join at the floor, more or less, 23 24.

The three bodies join there.

I was telling him when I checked this

builder, "Be careful because the

specifically, and because it is necessary to understand the

concrete deforms and continues

deforming. One touches the concrete and says,

"It's hard, now, now, it's over."

reaction." No, the reaction of the concrete.

It lasts almost 30 years. In 30 years it is still going on

deforming and then they didn't make me

case. They arrived at the place where they had to meet.

And, oh, surprise, there were centimeters of

difference. Ah, well, I fill it with

concrete. No, wait for me, your building is already

It became crooked. It had become crooked and says,

"Well, nothing happened, because I already..."

I joined, nobody knows anymore and it's not visible, right? Yeah.

The problem with elevators is that

They still don't know how to walk on a bend,

So what happened? They had to

change the cabins. So, all this

These are the kinds of things you have to understand. But

Look, the project looks nice, doesn't it?

There are many architects here,

Well, we can't deny that that building

It's prettier than one of the ones in New York.

York, right? The next one. See them all

These challenges of buildings and all

They are around 200 m. The one that

go on.

The next one.

And this is the tallest building today

in Mexico City, 260,

267 m high that they used for

first time a concept called

outrigger and we'll explain it now

the next one.

Before that, sorry, I'm going to... do a

very quick study

for the concrete industry. Does

a few years, and it was 25 years, uh, they told me,

"Hey, I'm seeing a lot of structure

metal

and see the falseness of things. I'm

Looking at the metal structure, why not?

"contaminates." The topics of

Sustainability, he says, "Does not pollute. The

Concrete is indeed dirty, you go to the construction sites and

It's all very dirty, so I'm going to

make it metallic. And then

There was one issue that the dollar

It was too low for us and then

We no longer use the peso. The dollar

It was very cheap, so the price of

The price of the metal is based on the dollar and

Then there was a real boom and I

They said, "Hey, Roberto, this

It is true that the structure is metallic

"It's cheaper than concrete," he said.

I say, "No." And then they asked me for this

study, a study was done

Very simple structure, isn't it?

columns and make it the most efficient in

concrete and steel, taking from the

foundation, that is, all the