Housing +
Social housing has become one of the most pressing issues of the architectural agenda. Mexico with its population of 128 million people, growing at one of the fastest rates in Latin America, has thirty million homes, but a shortage of nine million units.
Within this landscape, we developed a project whose most objective was the creation of an affordable housing prototype. To be able to reach our goal, we needed to research what people, future inhabitants, wanted and needed in terms of materials, form, function and appearance. After several on-site interviews and workshops, in a process largely at odds with how social housing is being built around Mexico today, we created a concept modeled after archetypal house (with a gabled roof) able to adapt to geographical, social and cultural variations.
We expanded on the minimal federal requirement of 43 m² (463 ft²) per house, by building a central core of cinder blocks and different surrounding modules of lighter / cheaper materials (wooden pallets) which allow for future expansions in different phases, while maintaining the outside appearance of a completed house and adapting to each family’s budget, needs and desires. The first phase of the house includes two bedrooms, one bathroom, one kitchen and a five-meter height dining / living room, but when completed, there is space for five separate bedrooms.
Several ecological strategies were used throughout the design process to achieve maximum energy efficiency. Different interior configurations can be deployed to accommodate varying urban and rural traditions. The project’s objective is providing every Mexican family the possibility to have access to an intelligently designed, affordable solution for a house.
Acuña Housing Prototype
In the year 2015, a series of tornadoes struck the cities of Acuña, with a particularly devastating impact on the neighborhoods of Los Altos de Santa Teresa and Las Aves, leaving a tragic aftermath of 14 fatalities, 229 injured, over one-thousand homes damaged, and nearly one-hundred homes completely destroyed.
Faced with this devastating situation, a state of emergency was declared in the areas that required a quick and efficient response to restore normalcy and improve their original conditions. Consequently, Infonavit (Institute of the National Fund for Workers) contacted us to develop a new model of social housing and revitalize public spaces in the affected zones.
We approached this project with the intention of creating public spaces that would complement the existing urban life while also offering sports and recreational facilities to the residents. Despite having a limited budget, we prioritized the design and construction of meeting spaces, shaded areas, paved walkways, and green surroundings, enriching and connecting the various intervention zones.
On the other hand, for the development of the new housing models, we relied on previous research conducted by our office. We adapted the designs to the contextual characteristics, using materials that align with the region's economic conditions. We designed modular and expandable homes, with the fundamental premise of providing each family with a solid housing base while granting them the freedom to decide when and how to expand their homes.
