Team: Pablo Pérez Palacios, Emilio Calvo, Miguel Vargas, Andrés Domínguez, Marcelino Pacheco, Nancy Estévez, Daniela Jay
Photography: César Belio
Optimization of a limited plot, combining quality design with creative spatial solutions. A project in which the built and unbuilt transform limited dimensions into functional spaces.
Living the built and the unbuilt
Juan Cano I is a residential project in Mexico City with a townhouse typology, which has gained strength within the city’s context to address the demands of population growth. One characteristic of this urban model is narrow plots, so to incorporate the requirements on a lot measuring 6m in frontage by 30m in length, we opted for a vertical dwelling that occupies a smaller footprint area, thus making use of the remaining space to create voids that provide visual transparency from side to side.
The architecture is guided by the existing trees on the site that we chose to preserve. At the front, in a vegetation-free area, a built mass was placed to house the program, while the rear portion becomes a courtyard with new possibilities for use throughout the day. An important aspect of the design was for the house to blend into its urban context, which is why the facade is black in colour. In contrast, the interior features light tones on the walls and warm wood tones on the furniture and joinery.
Juan Cano I is a project that seeks new proposals for a growing housing model, based on the idea of experiencing the house in two forms and moments: the exterior and the interior, the built and the unbuilt.