This research explores Quito’s urban ravines as "living edges" critical interfaces where social, ecological, and morphological dynamics converge reframing them as foundational zones for sustainable, context-responsive architecture in the Andes. Using 100m x 100m territorial quadrants, it identifies three sources of degradation: urban growth, infrastructure, environmental deforestation, agriculture and social—waste, neglect. A multi-scalar analysis reveals how ravines shift from ecological assets to stigmatized voids, disrupting key metabolic cycles yet offering opportunities for regenerative design. Drawing from urban metabolism and Anthropocene theory, the study proposes four interlinked strategies: architecture-nature co-protagonism for contextual integration; programmatic layering to intensify use without ecological harm; bioclimatic optimization; and sustainable material sourcing based on life cycle and carbon metrics. The case of Nayón illustrates the paradox of local floriculture-driven economies degrading their ecological base. Ravines emerge as paradigmatic spaces where regenerative design reactivates ecosystems, dissolving the divide between architectural object building and the ravines ecosystems in the city of Quito.
Baldeón et al. (Sun,) studied this question.