La Victoria Bus Stop
The La Victoria bus stop is an architectural and pedagogical intervention developed by the School of Architecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Ibarra campus, through an applied learning process that brings together teaching, community engagement, and direct construction experience. The project is located at the intersection of Padre Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Avenue and Jorge Guzmán Rueda Street, in front of the university campus, at a point used daily by students, residents, and workers in the area that previously lacked adequate infrastructure for waiting for public transportation. The proposal originated from the identification of a specific urban issue: the absence of safe, accessible, and dignified conditions for users of the mobility system, as well as the deterioration of the immediate public space. In response, the project proposes the design and construction of a bus stop conceived as a small urban facility capable of improving the everyday experience of public transport while also acting as a recognizable architectural element within the neighborhood. The structure is configured as a self-supporting monolithic volume built with Emmedue system panels (Hormi2/M2), which consist of a core of expanded polystyrene reinforced with welded steel mesh and consolidated with sprayed mortar, generating a continuous structural element with good seismic performance and appropriate thermal and acoustic properties. This main body is complemented by a lightweight metal roof that protects users from sun and rain, and incorporates lighting, electrical installations, and the potential integration of technological systems such as solar panels or information displays for bus schedules. Beyond its modest scale, the project gains significance through its educational dimension: the process included the design, technical planning, and participation in the construction by students, who were able to directly experience the material, structural, and constructive decisions involved in the realization of a built project. In this sense, the bus stop becomes an exercise in situated learning, where architecture is understood as a practice that connects academic knowledge, social responsibility, and collaborative work with local actors, including the residents of the La Victoria neighborhood and institutions related to the urban transport system. The intervention demonstrates how small-scale projects can generate meaningful impacts on the quality of public space by dignifying everyday infrastructures and strengthening the relationship between university and city through concrete actions that respond to real needs in the surrounding environment.
Images and Plans
Technical Description
The La Victoria bus stop was conceived as a small-scale architectural infrastructure that simultaneously functions as a pedagogical platform for applied learning in architecture and construction. Developed by the School of Architecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Ibarra campus, the project integrates design, technical detailing, and hands-on construction as part of an educational process in which students engage directly with materials, structural systems, and building techniques. Through this approach, the project operates as a built laboratory where architectural knowledge is tested and refined through real-world implementation.
The main structural element of the bus stop consists of a monolithic self-supporting volume constructed using the Emmedue (Hormi2/M2) building system. This system is composed of prefabricated panels with a core of expanded polystyrene (EPS) sandwiched between layers of welded steel mesh, which are connected with steel trusses that provide rigidity and structural continuity. Once installed, the panels are covered with layers of sprayed cement mortar, forming a reinforced composite wall that combines structural capacity, thermal insulation, and durability. The use of this system allowed students to engage with an alternative construction technology widely used in seismic regions, while also learning about panel assembly, structural reinforcement, and the application of shotcrete finishing techniques.
The monolithic body of the bus stop integrates the main spatial functions of the project, including seating and lateral protective surfaces that shelter users from wind and traffic. The geometry of the structure emphasizes solidity and continuity, while the constructive logic of the panel system allowed the design to be executed with relatively simple assembly processes and limited construction resources. The project thus offered an opportunity for students to understand how design decisions relate directly to fabrication constraints, material behavior, and construction sequencing.
Complementing the structural volume, a lightweight steel roof structure provides additional protection from solar radiation and rainfall. The roof is composed of a metal frame anchored to the main structure and covered with metal sheets, forming a protective canopy that extends the shaded area for waiting passengers. This element incorporates electrical conduits and lighting fixtures, improving nighttime safety and visibility. The design also anticipates the possible integration of additional technological systems, such as photovoltaic panels or digital information displays for public transportation schedules.
From a pedagogical perspective, the project emphasizes learning through making. Students participated not only in the conceptual design phase but also in the development of technical drawings, material specifications, and the organization of the construction process. During the building stage, they were involved in tasks such as panel placement, reinforcement preparation, mortar application, and coordination with technicians and construction workers. This direct engagement with construction allowed students to confront the practical challenges of building, including tolerances, structural connections, and the logistics of working on a real site.
