mexico Archives

Productora converts Mexico City textile factory into artist spaces

Mexican architecture studio Productora has restored a concrete industrial complex in Mexico City into a series of studios including its own office.

Productora has been gradually renovating the building, which was originally a textile factory built in the 1920s, since it moved its offices to the structure following an earthquake in 2017.

Green trimmed concrete reuse project — Productora has renovated an industrial site in Mexico City where it has an office

The studio originally took up residence in an empty “nave” in the factory in Mexico City’s Doctores neighbourhood along a furniture company.

Since then, the studio has been “slowly rebuilding the complex while inhabiting it” and more than twenty other companies have moved into the complex, which is now called Laguna,

Concrete and green trim in Mexico City — New buildings were added to the cleared courtyards in the middle of the complex

For the renovation, the studio focused on the interior of the complex while leaving the street-facing, painted-concrete exterior, generally untouched so that one might not know the complex is there at all.

The complex is now orientated around two courtyards that were cleared of existing structures to create new circulation and gathering areas.

Green metal screen with concrete breeze blocks — The site was once a textile factory

Within these courtyard spaces, a mix of newly built concrete workshops and the renovation of existing brick-and-mortar and concrete buildings will continue to take place over the next several years. The studio said it hopes that the project will be one of “constant adaptation and transformation”.

Now, the most significant aspects of the renovation have been the cleared courtyards and added buildings, as well as expressive walkways and a new freight elevator that towers above the site.

Green detailing was chosen because it was prominent in the trim of the windows and roof on the facade of the original structure, and these green details continue along the causeways and in the gridded window frames.

People on benches in Mexico City art space — Gathering spaces have been included in the courtyards. Photo by Camila Cossio

Social spaces have been installed in the courtyards so that members of the various companies can gather.

In the future, Productora plans to build wooden workshops on top of the preexisting structure to create flexible and modular extensions to the current program.

Jozz Gómez, a coordinator for Laguna, said that the presence of the complex has also positively changed the environment around the complex.

“It started to bring more employment, but also changed the neighbourhood,” she told Dezeen.

“It was known to be a very dangerous neighbourhood, but after the project started, you can see foreigners, students, and young people walking around the streets.”

Office spaces in industrial spaces — It holds office space for creative studios. Photo by Camila Cossio.

Productora was founded in 2006 and has additional offices in Brooklyn. Recent projects include a hotel in San Miguel de Allende clad in red and green tile as well as a bright-blue cohousing project in Denver, Colorado, USA.

The photography is by Pablo Manjarrez. Top photo by Camila Cossio.

Reference

Interior Design

Estudio Estudio unveils “architectural treasures” in Mexico City house

By Zarkon Group,04/10/2023

Arched doorways and a rooftop studio feature in the Y.27 House, which has been overhauled by architecture firm Estudio Estudio in a way that honours the historic building’s original character.

Located on a 195-square-metre site in Mexico City’s Hipódromo Condesa neighbourhood, the project serves as a full-time residence for a client who is a social entrepreneur and collector of Mexican craftwork.

Y27 House by Estudio Estudio with an inbuilt studio — The house been overhauled to honour the historic building’s original character

Originally built in the 1930s, the stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglect, said local firm Estudio Estudio.

The design team set out to revamp the home’s interior, aiming to restore its original charm while enhancing its functionality.

Revamped home interior design — Estudio Estudio set out to revamp the home’s interior

The project involved removing walls, reconfiguring the layout and making structural improvements, in addition to adding new finishes. Moreover, a small storage room on the roof was replaced with a 43-square-metre studio building.

“The main goal was to unveil the hidden architectural treasures beneath layers of past modifications, meticulously restoring them to their original state to reveal the essence of the time,” the team said.

Kitchen entered via an arched doorway — In the rear, one finds a kitchen

“Architectural interventions aimed to preserve the authentic character of the house, rejuvenating ornamental elements while avoiding unnecessary embellishments.”

Rectangular in plan, the home has a mix of communal and private spaces spread across three levels. Curves and arches – many of them original – create a “harmonious flow”.

Rounded skylight that illuminates a staircase — Curves and arches create a “harmonious flow”

On the ground level, the layout “seamlessly integrates daily living requirements”. The front portion holds an entry hall, garage and office, while in the rear, one finds a kitchen, dining area, service rooms and a patio.

At the heart of the ground floor is an airy living room with a 5.9-metre-high ceiling. A tall shelving system with a metal-and-wood ladder acts as a focal point.

A gently curved, skylit staircase leads to the first floor, where the team placed a primary bedroom, two bedrooms and a family room.

Atop the building is the new studio, which was constructed using pine. In addition to the studio, the building contains an onsen room with a barn-style door.

Barn-style door — The building contains an onsen room with a barn-style door

The studio opens onto a terrace with terracotta flooring. Rainwater is collected on the roof and channelled to a reservoir below.

“The roof terrace serves as a space to gather but also works as a rainwater collector, where rain travels throughout the house into a water reservoir and filter system beneath the back patio,” the team said.

Throughout the home, the team used earthy materials and neutral colours. The lighting design – created in collaboration with lighting expert Luca Salas – is meant to balance “ambiance, functionality and aesthetics”.

Notable finishes include oak parquet flooring and closets faced with cotton-canvas. Oak was used for window frames, kitchen cabinets and other elements.

Pisos de pasta flooring features in the kitchen

In the kitchen, the team took a sample of existing checkered tiles, made of pigmented concrete, to a local craftsman, who then replicated them.

This style of flooring – called pisos de pasta – is very common in older homes in Mexico City and southwest Mexico, said Estudio Estudio.

Stucco-clad building — The stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglect

Overall, the house is meant to balance historic elements with a contemporary lifestyle.

“This house proudly stands as a harmonious blend of past and present, inviting residents to embark on a captivating journey of refined and simple ways of living,” the team said.

Other projects in Mexico City’s Condesa district include a renovated house by Chloé Mason Gray that embraces its lack of natural light, and an apartment block covered in small, wooden squares that were inspired by vegetable crates.

The photography is by Zaickz Moz Studio.

Reference

Interior Design

Productora and Esrawe Studio outfit Mexico hotel with planes of green tile

By Zarkon Group,03/10/2023

Local architecture studios Productora and Esrawe Studio have outfitted a Mexico hotel with planes of green tile suspended from the lobby ceiling.

Located on a hilly site in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the Albor Hotel is part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection.

A hotel with a long stone facade — Productora and Esrawe Studio have wrapped a hotel in Mexico with local red stone

Completed in 2022, the 6,038 square metre project contains a lobby, restaurant, bar, gym, multipurpose room, and a pool area with a grill.

Productora and Esrawe Studio pulled from the mountainous surroundings for the design.

Green tiles with a leaf-like pattern of pink and white — The stone is carried into the building’s lobby and lower levels

“The hotel emerges naturally from the terrain, framing a beautiful view of the valley,” said the team.

“The hotel’s stone base is inspired by the mountain’s interior, featuring a textured and colourful appearance.”

A hotel lobby with wooden chairs and a canopy tiled in green — Planes of green tile are suspended from the ceiling

A natural red, textured stone was wrapped around the building’s first two levels, which steps up the hill on the site.

The top three levels contain the hotel’s private rooms and have an exterior clad in a simple white material, which contrasts the base.

A stone outdoor patio with brick facade — The tile features a graphic pattern by artist Omar Barquet

The lower levels, which contain the lobby, restaurant, bar and garden, run perpendicular to the site’s cobble-stone street, while the upper-floor volume runs parallel.

Guests enter into the hotel’s spacious lobby, where the same red stone was carried onto the floors, walls and bar elements.

Red door frames open to the outdoors — The hotel contains a multi-leveled terrace and restaurant

The lobby’s double-height space is divided by planes of sea-foam green ceramic tile, which feature a leaf-like pattern by Mexican artist Omar Barquet.

Crafted by tile manufacturer Latitude, they cover dividing walls, ceiling planes and panels that are suspended from the ceiling.

The space is outfitted with wide, blocky wooden tables and chairs by Roberto González. Wood was also used for a large bookshelf that spans the length of the interior lobby.

A mixture of gray, green and red cushions were used to cover the seating, with the same red tone used to frame a series of sliding glass doors that lead onto the hotel’s sprawling patio.

A bedroom outfitted with beige textiles and walls with accents of earthen tones — A natural red tone was carried throughout the hotel’s lower and upper levels

Rectangular volumes cantilever over the back patio, reflecting the same rectangular panels used to divide the lobby.

The patio sprawls across several levels, with large square planting beds installed with cacti and other local plants by PLANTA Botanical Design.

The hotel’s private rooms were kept minimalist, with the same wooden furniture echoed in seating areas, cabinetry and a bed frame.

“The rooms feature a natural colour palette and materials such as mineral clay, local crafts, wooden furniture and natural fabrics, providing a cosy and inviting atmosphere for guests,” said the team.

An earthen red tone was also carried into the private bathrooms.

Productora recently completed a bright blue co-housing complex in Denver, Colorado, while Esrawe Studio renovated an apartment in Mexico City with an oak “skin”.

The photography is by César Béjar.

Reference

Interior Design

Mestiz celebrates artisan collaborations in colourful Mexico studio

By Zarkon Group,22/09/2023

Mexican design studio Mestiz has opened a showroom and workshop within a historic building in San Miguel de Allende, where its brightly hued collaborations with local craftspeople take pride of place.

The studio space is located on Pasaje Allende in the heart of the central Mexican city, renowned for its colonial-era architecture and arts scene.

Showroom filled with colourful furniture and homeware — Mestiz opened its new studio as a space to present its colourful furniture and homeware

Mestiz founder Daniel Valero collaborates with a variety of skilled local artisans to create furniture and homeware using ancestral crafts.

“In our studio, partnerships aren’t short-lived; they’re built to last,” he said. “We’ve nurtured long-term relationships with artisans, where learning and creating are an ongoing process.”

Plaster walls with red, orange and brown designs in front — Rough plaster walls of the remodelled space provide a neutral backdrop for the brightly hued designs

Pieces from Mestiz’s collection fill the interior of the studio, which occupies a remodelled stone building designed as a “wild habitat” brimming with personality.

“It was once a kitchen,” Valero explained, “and now it’s a space that respects the idea of Mexican cuisine, infusing it into our creative sanctuary.”

Items displayed on tiled ledges — Ledges covered in glossy tiles provide places to display smaller items the in the showroom

The studio comprises three principal spaces. In the showroom, the original wooden beams and the brick ceiling are exposed, and rough buttery plaster covers the walls.

Ledges and podiums clad in glossy tiles provide places for small items like spiky vessels and framed pictures to be displayed.

Workshop with red bench and shelf — In the workshop, red benches are used for assembling the designs

Larger furniture pieces like a triangular table and chairs with tufty backrests are arranged across the floor.

Meanwhile, textile artworks decorate the walls and huge, fibrous pink light fixtures hang overhead.

“Our creations aren’t just pieces; they’re stories,” said Valero.

“We believe in crafting designs that engage in profound dialogues with the context and history of each community we work with.”

Pink room filled with wicker lighting and furniture — A pink-toned storage room is also filled with products, which are all made from natural materials

The workshop is situated in a lean-to at the side of the building, where the rough stone walls are visible on two sides and other surfaces are left untreated.

Red-painted benches for assembling items and storing natural materials – palm, wood, wool, wicker and ceramic – are surrounded by partially completed designs.

Wicker lights suspended above chairs with tufted sides — Mestiz partners with artisans across Mexico to preserve and celebrate craft traditions

A pink-hued storage room is also packed with products, from wicker lights suspended from the ceiling to tall totems in blue, pink and purple stood in the corners.

“Our practice is a living testament to the merging of traditions,” Valero said. “Our pieces are the embodiment of cultural syncretism, where diverse influences converge to create something entirely new.”

Stone building exterior with view into showroom — The studio is located in a historic stone building in San Miguel de Allende

The rich creative spirit of San Miguel de Allende is also presented at the city’s Casa Hoyos hotel, where colourful tiles and local craft fill a former Spanish colonial manor.

Other Mexican designers continuing local traditions through their work include Fernando Laposse, who uses corn waste to create a marquetry material, and Christian Vivanco, who launched a rattan furniture collection with Balsa.

The photography is by Pepe Molina.

Reference

Architecture

Ludwig Godefroy prioritises garden for “timeless” family home in Mexico

By Zarkon Group,12/09/2023

Mexico-based architect Ludwig Godefroy has completed the renovation of a”simple” house and studio in Mexico for himself and his family that is integrated with an adjacent garden.

Godefroy and his partner renovated a former residence, focusing on the home’s orientation towards the site’s pre-existing greenspace.

A large semi-circle planter attached to the exterior of a house — Ludwig Godefroy has completed a house and studio for himself and his family in Mexico

“Casa SanJe is a very simple project,” said Godefroy. “The main idea behind the project was to reconnect the house with its garden, opening large windows everywhere on the ground floor. In and out are always connected in this house.”

Almost half of the square site is dedicated to the garden, while the other half contains the architect’s residence.

The entrance to a house with a gate door — It is organized around the site’s substantial garden

“Casa SanJe was an ordinary Mexican house from the ’80s, without any style, a simple house with tiles on the floor and texturized plaster finishing on the walls,” said Godefroy.

The architect replaced the former materials with concrete, wood and tezontle – a red volcanic stone – to “calm down the atmosphere of the house”.

A large wrought iron door — Godefroy renovated a house originally built in the 80s

The ground level of the home contains two entrances protected by iron doors.

A car park sits adjacent to the building’s first entrance, which is accessed through a patio populated with stone, planting beds and a concrete and brick sculpture.

A rectangular cut out in a wall — The ground floor contains large windows and doors that open directly into the garden

A second entrance is located further into the garden and leads to a vestibule space at the centre of the ground-level plan.

The interior program circulates around the vestibule, with the kitchen, dining area and living room located opposite the architect’s studio and library.

The entrance to a home with a mirror and sculptural elements — It is made of concrete with wood and stone elements

The kitchen and studio spaces were pushed along the back wall of the house, with slim windows placed periodically among cabinets and shelves.

On the side opposite, Godefroy installed large doors and windows that open the living room directly into the garden.

A dining table made of concrete — Furniture like a dining table and shelving was also made of concrete

Much of the interior furniture was made of caste concrete, like the living room sofa, the dining table, side tables, kitchen shelving and an island. And some are built directly into the floor.

Godefroy’s studio also contains concrete shelving and a concrete desk that runs along the wall.

A living room with a wall of exposed stone and a concrete couch — A wall clad in volcanic stone rungs along the back of the house

In the same space, a wall was clad in warm wood panels, while a vaulted ceiling sits above the architect’s desk. A chimney sits adjacent.

Like some of Godefroy’s previous projects, geometric openings were cut into interior walls.

An exposed wall made of red volcanic stone runs along the back wall of the house.

Located between the kitchen and living room, a wooden staircase leads to the second floor, which contains bedrooms and a primary bath.

Casa SanJe by Ludwig Godefroy — The architect’s studio opens onto the entrance patio

The primary bath contains a sunken, circular cutout in the floor, with multiple shower heads for bathing.

In one corner, a spigot drops water onto a stepped feature.

A bathroom with a circular cut out in the floor — An upstairs bathroom features a circular, sunken floor

Concrete was used for the ceiling, walls and floor.

Native plants were placed throughout the house, with a large semi-circle planter made of concrete placed above the house’s entrance.

“We wanted the space to become timeless, out of any trend or decoration, just made out of simple material, able to get old instead of getting damaged under the action of time,” said the architect.

Godefroy recently completed a number of projects in and around Mexico City, including a brutalist cube-shaped home and a hotel that recalls the design of an Oaxacan temple.

The photography is by Edmund Sumner.

Reference

Architecture

PPAA submerges bedrooms underneath A-Frame house in Mexico City

By Zarkon Group,09/08/2023

Local studio Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados has completed a wooden A-Frame house with underground bedrooms in a forested area outside Mexico City.

Nestled in the forest of Valle de Bravo, the residence has two volumes stacked on top of one another, with public areas above ground and private ones below.

An A-Frame with a terrace overlooking the forest — Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados has designed an A-Frame house with underground bedrooms outside of Mexico City

On the ground level, the A-Frame structure contains a semi-open living and dining room, kitchen, and family room, with a minimal footprint to create space for a terrace. The A-Frame structure consists of pre-fabricated elements brought to the site.

The top and sides of the A-Frame are enclosed in glass, as is the space at the back of the structure. An outdoor pool and lounge area were placed on the terrace to bring occupants closer to the surrounding forest and to take advantage of the large base where the underground aspects are located.

A large dining table underneath an A-frame structure — The residence is made of two perpendicularly stacked volumes

“The main goal of this project was to give more importance to the surroundings present and to the open space given, embracing the idea of emptiness even with the possibility of having the architecture disappear,” Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) founder Pablo Pérez Palacios told Dezeen.

A submerged staircase on the terrace leads to the lower level, which contains three bedrooms, each with a private bath, and a small study.

A kitchen with a large black cabinet unit — The A-Frame structure contains the house’s public areas like a kitchen and living room

The sleeping areas were buried into the ground, with windows facing out and privacy offered by the surrounding trees.

“This design method gives you the possibility to really disconnect while enjoying your own solitude in the surrounding nature, gently forcing you to have that moment of relationship with the site, even if you’re just going to bed,” said Pérez Palacios

A long rectangular structure placed beneath an A-Frame — The rectangular structure beneath the A-Frame contains the house’s private sleeping areas

The black finish on the exterior of the lower volume and the dark roof tiles were selected to help the home blend into the environment.

“The palette focuses on one core material – certified timber – to convey a sense of admiration and respect for the home’s surroundings,” said Pérez Palacios.

“Whilst the stainless steel, onyx joinery and hand-finished walls are used to evoke an unpretentious sensibility and as I would say ‘give prominence to the forest’.”

Rainwater is collected from the pitched roof, which is then ushered into an open water deposit for reuse.

In addition to rainwater collection, the open-air A-Frame structure also works to filter light and passively ventilate the house.

To further reduce the impact on site, the studio only removed one tree which it repurposed as a handrail on the terrace.

A bed in a room with a large window and light wood paneled walls — The underground bedrooms were designed to feel enclosed by the surrounding forest

The interiors were adorned in natural materials in neutral tones, with certified wood used also on the interior walls.

Other residential projects around Mexico City include a home with a dramatic cantilever by LBR&A and an expansive holiday home with a sunken living room by Romero de la Mora.

The photography is by Rafael Gamo.

Reference

Architecture

Colectivo C733 tops brick music school with soaring timber roof in Mexico

By Zarkon Group,06/06/2023

Mexican studio Colectivo C733 has created a brick music school in Nacajuca, Mexico that includes two structures and a lofty, cantilevered roof made of coconut wood.

The Mexico City-based collective completed the 1,325-square metre (120-square metre) Casa de Música in 2021.

Exterior of the brick Casa de Musica school by Colectivo C733 with cantilevered timber roofs — Colectivo C733 added a soaring coconut wood roof to the music school

The facility is part of the state’s urban development program and “provides a space for social gatherings with warm materials and natural ventilation, while musicians benefit from spacious, isolated classrooms with state-of-the-art equipment,” C733 told Dezeen.

Casa de Música is composed of two volumes connected by a public boulevard.

Exterior of the brick Casa de Musica school by Colectivo C733 with large windows and a cantilevered timber roof — The school is located in the Mexican city of Nacajuca

The larger volume – an open-plan community centre built on the foundations of a previous structure – boasts a large offset gable roof with one roof plane extending past the ridge line and cantilevering over a skylight and the opposite roof plane.

The north and south sides are supported by a series of double brick walls that hold the 24-metre trusses. The west end is transparent with rectangular glass panels shielded from the street by a porous brick screen, while the east end holds a service core.

Exterior of the Casa de Musica school with extended brick walls and cantilevered timber roofs — Double brick walls support the roof structure

The social space also holds a mezzanine stage for workshops and local musicians.

The smaller volume is the music school — consisting of eight classrooms, a cafeteria, restrooms and management offices — that reflects the rhythm of the community centre’s structure through compact spaces arranged in a line.

“The sloping roof of the building creates a double-height space in each of these areas, with an upper terrace offering views of the treetops,” the team said.

Both buildings feature local coconut wood, brick partitions, and clay tiles that provide warmth, natural freshness, and acoustic control. Wooden doors open between each structural bay, creating a loggia-like complex that opens the facility to the public.

An expansive interior space with a large pitched timber roof and glazed gable end — The larger of the two structures is a community centre

“The project draws inspiration from the traditional Mesoamerican pocho dance and contemporary expressions, incorporating warm materials, natural ventilation, and a focus on local resources to create a space that pays tribute to its location and enhances existing elements,” the team said.

The team looked beyond the site to prioritize the land on which the centre sits.

A covered exterior walkway with a brick floor and timber walls next to a glazed gable-ended building — Brick, wood and clay materials were chosen to add warmth

“It is essential that projects pay tribute to their location, particularly when they have the potential to highlight what already exists,” the team said.

The project faces a polluted creek; but the roof directs and collects rainwater, filtering it for use in restrooms, passing it through biodigesters and biofilters in a wetland-type treatment and discharging clean water into the local river as a water management alternative.

Two external brick walls topped with pitched timber roofs — A boulevard connects the school’s two structures

The locally sourced coconut wood captures carbon dioxide, generates a smaller carbon footprint than other materials and promotes both craftsmanship and employment for the local workforce.

C733 includes designers Gabriela Carrillo, Carlos Facio, Eric Valdez, Israel Espín and José Amozurrutia

In Matamoros just off the Texas-Mexico border, C733 created a brick shopping centre with inverted trapezoidal roof forms. Other projects with timber roofs in Mexico include a holiday home in Avándaro by Estudio MMX.

The photography is by Yoshihiro Koitani.

Project credits:
Colectivo C733: Gabriela Carrillo, Eric Valdez, Israel Espín, José Amozurrutia, Carlos Facio (TO)
Design team: Álvaro Martínez, Fernando Venado, Eduardo Palomino
Executive architect: Leticia Sánchez, Victor Arriata
Structures: LABG (Eric Valdez), GIEE, GECCO Ingeniería
Electrical and mechanical engineering: Enrique Zenón
Landscape architects: Taller de Paisaje Hugo Sánchez
Other consultants: Carlos Hano, Laurent Herbiet
Contractor: Francisco Tripp – Grupo Plarciac
Client: SEDATU, Municipio de Nacajuca

Reference

Sustainable News

Water shortage concerns influence design of Rain Harvest Home in Mexico

By Zarkon Group,25/05/2023

Robert Hutchison Architecture and Javier Sanchez Arquitectos include an extensive system for capturing and reusing stormwater for a family nature retreat in a mountainous region of Mexico.

The Rain Harvest Home, or Casa Cosecha de Lluvia, is located in the rural town of Temascaltepec, which lies about 140 kilometres west of Mexico City.

Rain harvesting house at dusk with reflection — Top: The home is located in the mountains west of Mexico City. The photo is by Jamie Navarro. Above: It is one of three independent structures. The photo is by Rafael Gamo.

The retreat was designed by Seattle’s Robert Hutchison Architecture and Mexico City-based Javier Sanchez Arquitectos (JSa), which have collaborated on projects together in the past. The retreat was designed for JSa’s founder and his family, who plan to make it their permanent residence in the future.

The property consists of three independent structures – a main house, a bathhouse and an art studio.

Rain Harvest Home in Mexico — A main house is included in the complex. Photo is by Jamie Navarro

Landscaping elements include bio-agriculture gardens, an orchard and a network of pathways.

Permaculture principles were used to “establish a holistic, integrated relationship between people and place”, the team said.

Permaculture – a portmanteau of permanent agriculture and permanent culture – is an approach to design and land management that takes cues from natural ecosystems.

Round bathhouse building at Rain Harvest Home in Mexico — The bathhouse is a round building. Photo is by Rafael Gamo

One of the main goals for the project was to be mindful of resource consumption, particularly water. In turn, all of the structures are designed to capture and reuse rainwater.

The harvesting system meets 100 per cent of the home’s water needs, according to the architects.

Standalone art studio by Robert Hutchinson Architecture and JSa — A standalone art studio also features at the site. Photo is by Laia Rius Solá

“Here, as in the surrounding region of Central Mexico, water has become an increasingly precious resource as temperatures rise and populations increase,” the team said.

The region has a robust rainy season, but rainwater harvesting is uncommon. Instead, water tends to be pumped in from faraway watersheds.

Communal area within main house of Rain Harvest Home by Robert Hutchinson Architecture and JSa — The home features various communal areas. Photo is by César Béjar

“Rain Harvest Home takes a different tack, proposing an integrated approach to designing regeneratively with water,” the team said.

Encompassing 1,200 square feet (111 square metres), the main house was envisioned as a pavilion for year-round use and features a large amount of covered outdoor space, with views of the landscape on all sides of the building.

Open-plan kitchen of Rain Harvest Home — The residence includes an open-plan kitchen. Photo is by Rafael Gamo

The home’s communal area consists of an open living room, dining area and kitchen. The private zones hold two bedrooms, a den, a small bathroom, a powder room and a storage/laundry space.

Nearby, the team placed the bathhouse, which totals 172 square feet (16 square metres). The building is designed to offer “a poetic dialogue with the experiential qualities of water”.

Central pool with four surrounding chambers at bathhouse — Circular in plan, the bathhouse has four chambers that surround a central pool. Photo is by César Béjar

Circular in plan, the bathhouse has four chambers that surround a central cold-plunge pool that is open to the sky. The chambers contain a hot bath, sauna, steam shower and washroom.

The final structure is the 206-square-foot (19-square-metre) art studio. The rectangular building has a main level and an “outdoor skyroom”.

All three buildings have wood framing and black-stained pine cladding. Concrete-slab foundations are topped with pavers made of recinto volcanic stone. Roofs are covered with vegetation.

In the main residence, slender steel columns support deep roof overhangs. Rising up from the roof are protruding light monitors sheathed with unfinished steel plates, which will develop a patina over time.

Plywood finishes within main home — Interior finishes include plywood made of Southern yellow pine. Photo is by Rafael Gamo

Interior finishes include recinto stone and plywood made of Southern yellow pine.

All three buildings have strategies in place to capture rainwater. Moreover, bioswales in the landscape help direct water to the property’s above- and below-ground reservoir system, where water is stored and purified.

Kitchen clad with stone and wood — Recinto stone was used for the flooring in some places. Photo is by Laia Rius Solá

“The on-site water treatment system is completely self-contained and primarily gravity-fed, containing five cisterns that provide potable and treated water,” the team said.

“A chemical-free, blackwater treatment system treats all wastewater on-site, returning it to the site’s water cycle as greywater for use in toilets, and to irrigate the on-site orchard,” the team added.

In addition to water conservation, the architects were also mindful of energy production. A 10-kW photovoltaic array generates electricity for all three buildings.

Overall, the home is meant to be a model for how to integrate water conservation into home design.

Timber elements at Rain Harvest Home — The home is meant to be a model for how to integrate water conservation into home design. Photo is by Laia Rius Solá

“It stands as a testament to the potential of rainwater harvesting for off-grid, self-contained water systems that eliminate reliance on municipal water sources,” the team said.

“At the same time, the element of water contributes to the overall spatial and experiential quality of the project, reconnecting people with their environment by engaging the senses.”

Other rural homes in Mexico include a house with a cruciform-shaped plan and hefty stone walls by HW Studio Arquitectos, and a brutalist-style, concrete house in a pine forest that was designed by architect Ludwig Godefroy.

The photography is by Jaime Navarro, Rafael Gamo, Laia Rius Solá and César Béjar.

Project credits:

Architects: Robert Hutchison Architecture and JSa
Project team: Robert Hutchison, Javier Sanchez, Sean Morgan, Berenice Solis
Structural engineer: Bykonen Carter Quinn
Mechanical engineer: TAF Alejandro Filloy
General contractor: Mic Mac Estructuras
Landscape architect: Helene Carlo
Wood construction and fabrication: MicMac Estructuras (Johan Guerrero)
Steel construction and fabrication: Rhometal Roberto Chavez
Water systems consultant: Miguel Nieto
Solar systems consultant: Teoatonalli (Oscar Matus)
Kitchen consultant: Piacere Charly Trujillo

Reference

Architecture

How Rain Harvest Home is Changing the Conversation Around Water Conservation in Mexico

By Zarkon Group,06/03/2023

Rain Harvest Home – is located within Reserva el Peñón, a landscape-driven development which has achieved water self-sufficiency for a community of 80 families in 450 acres of a nature reserve, two hours from Mexico City. The Reserve framed our thinking around sustainability generally, and rainwater harvesting specifically. It pushed us to think at a larger level where the whole Reserve became the site, and the home was one piece of that. We also thought about how we could explore the larger issues of water conservation in Mexico, with this being an example of how to harvest rainwater on a small scale that could then apply to other projects. That became a driver in a powerful way. It was an idea that evolved over the course of the design process, and as the client became increasingly interested in cultivating a healthy, holistic lifestyle where they could live in harmony with the land.

Architizer chatted with Robert Hutchison from Robert Hutchison Architecture, and Javier Sanchez from JSa Arquitectura, to learn more about this project.

Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?

Robert Hutchison & Javier Sanchez: The brief was simple: the clients wanted a small cabin to enjoy the mountainous site. Valle de Bravo has a dry season and a rainy season, and the sun plays a trick every day in both of those seasons. You can enjoy the sun, but you have to be careful with it. Here, you need to have spaces that are open and covered; enclosed and covered; and outside and uncovered. You need all three qualities, so we needed to make that happen within the three structures.

At the start, the project had a simple, classic program: 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. When we were on site, we started developing the idea of splitting up the program into separate buildings. It started with wanting to separate the function of bathing, which led to the idea of the bathhouse. And then the separate studio emerged from that.

© JSa Arquitectura, Robert Hutchison Architecture

This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?

Rain Harvest Home offers a model for designing regeneratively with water. The home is 100% water autonomous and, in times of surplus, it is water positive and feeds excess water back into the community’s larger reservoir system. Not only does the design help restore the microclimate of the site, but it stands as a testament to the potential of rainwater harvesting for off-grid, self-contained water systems that eliminate reliance on municipal water sources. At the same time, the element of water contributes to the overall spatial and experiential quality of the project, reconnecting people with their environment by engaging the senses. More than any other element, conserving and improving the quality of water as a precious resource has the potential to dramatically improve the health and sustainability of built environments in Mexico, and beyond.

What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?

Integrating the rainwater system was an initial design challenge, and continues to be an everyday challenge. Now, the rain harvesting system and on-site reservoir are a learning laboratory where the clients are continually learning about how the system performs. Understanding that the water and food systems on site are part of a living process that fluctuates depending on changing natural conditions, the client continues to experiment in ways to optimize the system through seasonal calibrations and refinements. Nothing is as objective as science would make it seem because things are always changing over time depending on how much it rains, and when. The house has to live with that, and it’s a constant learning experience for us as designers. It’s about integrating design into the cycle of water and of life.

How did the context of your project — environmental, social or cultural — influence your design?

The site is relatively flat, but sits within a mountainous environment. All around are cliffs and steep slopes, but our site rests in a small plateau vegetated with continuous, single-story-high shrubs and brush. Because of these site conditions, we wanted to make the buildings disappear within the vegetation. This is why we designed a series of three low pavilions that nestle into the landscape and are dispersed across the site. We wanted a strong connection between each building and the landscape. Often as architects, we think about how spaces are created between buildings, but this was about letting the landscape be that interstitial space. The landscape becomes the connection between the buildings, just as it delineates the spaces between them. When you move through the site, there’s an experience of the buildings constantly disappearing and reappearing. It’s a process of discovery.

How important was sustainability as a design criteria as you worked on this project?

Within La Reserva, each home is required to incorporate rain harvesting, with most of it coming from the individual home’s rainwater harvesting system and a small portion coming from the reserve’s reservoirs. We wanted to try and raise the bar and see if we could harvest 100% of our water from our individual site, rather than depend on external sources. This was important because there is a major water shortage in Mexico City, which is absurd because it rains a lot, but we don’t harvest that rainwater. Instead, we pump water in and out from the valley. As designers, we need to talk about those issues within our designs and experiment with new possibilities. Sometimes when you have a built example, it’s easier to understand new possibilities, particularly around rainwater harvesting.

Team Members

Sean Morgan, RHA; Bernice Solis, JSa

Consultants

TAF Alejandro Filloy, Bykonen Carter Quinn, Helene Carlo, MicMac Estructuras, Rhometal, Miguel Nieto, Teoatonalli

For more on Rain Harvest Home, please visit the in-depth project page on Architizer.

Rain Harvest Home Gallery

Reference

Architecture

Made in Mexico: 6 Captivating Contemporary Concrete Constructions

By Zarkon Group,17/01/2023

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletter.

Mexican uses of concrete span thousands of years, stretching as far back as the Aztecs to the present day. It is no surprise then that the country has a rich culture of architectural styles that incorporate the age-old material; whether through a deep understanding of cement’s varied textures and patterns or a knowledge of how cement interacts with the country’s diverse climactic conditions, which range from lush vegetation to arid deserts.

Mexico’s concrete architecture is as varied as the country’s geography. The recent projects below illustrate how architects are drawing from this rich natural and historical heritage to create unique styles of concrete construction.

Casa Candelaria

By Cherem Arquitectos, Mexico

Popular Choice Winner, 2020 A+Awards, Private House (XL > 5000 sq ft)

This multi-residential project by Cherem Arquitectos on the outskirts of Mexico City is the contemporary equivalent of the traditional Mexican Hacienda. The project consists of a dozen flat roofed buildings interspersed by three main courtyards and large, lush gardens. Inside, the firm aimed to create a strong contrast between the large paneled concrete walls and the natural light entering from skylights. This is accentuated by the rich display of plants and native artwork throughout, suggesting an artisanal quality to the houses’ rough concrete finishes.

House P

By Cherem Arquitectos, Mexico

Photos by Enrique Macias Martinez

This house ensconced among trees in the state of Mexico plays with theatricality in many ways. The open triangular shape of the house — appearing to be folded onto itself — opens onto a large, dramatic luminous courtyard overrun by bushes and stooping trees. For their part, the exterior walls are like concrete curtains framing the free-reigning nature. The overall result is a house which engages dynamically with its surrounding environment: a concrete canvas onto which nature can play a starring role.

Pabellón 3E

By TACO Taller de Arquitectura Contextual, Mérida, Mexico

This 1960s suburban house in Mérida, Yucatán was recently renovated by TACO Taller de Arquitectura Contextual to accommodate the accessibility needs of the aging property owners. As part of the renovation, the firm gave a nod to the original era of the house with a new second skin: a lattice of compressed white cement made with discontinued molds from the sixties. The semi-permeable walls provide a new textured intermediary between interior and exterior, where both sunlight and interior light play in unique ways with the circular patterns.

L House

By Dellekamp Schleich, Mexico

Photos by Sandra Pereznieto

This L-shaped house goes to extreme lengths to preserve the pre-existing trees on the wooded lot by incorporating them quite literally into the building’s footprint. The house includes a series of small courtyards that interweave pre-existing vegetation and offer ample privacy for each section of the building. Meanwhile, the faded smooth paneled concrete quietly blends in with the house’s stone walls, adding to the house’s peaceful harmony with the surrounding forest.

Nuestro sueño

By Espacio 18 Arquitectura, Oaxaca, Mexico

This new home designed for a retired couple on the outskirts of Oaxaca is what the firm Espacio 18 Arquitectura has described as “an oasis at the city limits”. The house is modeled like an old colonial house from downtown Oaxaca with a floorplan centered around the kitchen and the central patio, where the couple hopes to host numerous social events. Likewise, the architectural combination of smooth concrete, timber and bright red clay brick creates a warm, hospitable atmosphere in the house’s congregation spaces. No doubt the homeowners will be recurring dinner party hosts.

Casa Estudio

By Intersticial Arquitectura, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

This modestly sized house located in an industrial neighborhood of Santiago de Querétaro manages to look rugged and hospitable at the same time. Intersticial Arquitectura undertook major renovations to this once deteriorating one-story concrete house, decluttering the space with the addition of a luminous and well-ventilated second floor. The renovation also combines rugged and smooth concrete sections for the new walls – a play of textures that pays homage to the local industrial heritage without losing the warm touch of the former building.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletter.

Reference

mexico

Productora converts Mexico City textile factory into artist spaces

Estudio Estudio unveils “architectural treasures” in Mexico City house

Productora and Esrawe Studio outfit Mexico hotel with planes of green tile

Mestiz celebrates artisan collaborations in colourful Mexico studio

Ludwig Godefroy prioritises garden for “timeless” family home in Mexico

PPAA submerges bedrooms underneath A-Frame house in Mexico City

Colectivo C733 tops brick music school with soaring timber roof in Mexico

Water shortage concerns influence design of Rain Harvest Home in Mexico

How Rain Harvest Home is Changing the Conversation Around Water Conservation in Mexico

Rain Harvest Home Gallery

Made in Mexico: 6 Captivating Contemporary Concrete Constructions

Casa Candelaria

By Cherem Arquitectos, Mexico

Popular Choice Winner, 2020 A+Awards, Private House (XL > 5000 sq ft)

House P

By Cherem Arquitectos, Mexico

Pabellón 3E

By TACO Taller de Arquitectura Contextual, Mérida, Mexico

L House

By Dellekamp Schleich, Mexico

Nuestro sueño

By Espacio 18 Arquitectura, Oaxaca, Mexico

Casa Estudio

By Intersticial Arquitectura, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

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