Architects:Frida Escobedo

Area :25887 ft²

Year :2018

Photographs :Rafael Gamo

Design Team : Héctor Arce, Carlos Hernández, Valentina Merz. Javier Rocamonde, Antonio Zarco

Structural Engineering : Carunti Ingeniería

Construction : Ardantz

City : Mexico City

Country : Mexico

From the outset, the design was informed by a desire to challenge the organizational limitations of the typical vertical housing block. The objective was to expand, to blur, to make more dynamic the realm between public and private, interior and exterior, thereby creating new and more diverse possibilities for encounter between residents.

We opted to divide the dwelling units between two separate volumes, a decision inspired by the 'vecindad', a common working-class housing type in Mexico dating to the turn of the 20th century, in which family dwellings are arranged to one or both sides of an open-air, private corridor-like patio. These patios serve as a transitional space between the bustling street and the family home, and further function as gathering places for residents.