DESIGN DESCRIPTION
YouTube Animation 1
YouTube Animation 2
2012-2013. On 12 12-meter by 13-meter (39ft by 42ft) plot of land, a monolithic volume is transformed to attain luminous indoor spaces. The slate stone on the exterior facades contrasts with the soft, beach-like wood finish, creating strong definition and a sense of space.
Built on a small plot of land measuring 127 m2 (1367 sq ft), the construction rises, looking south, to the vertical vegetation garden wall. It is a three-story-high assembly, with the main terrace on the second level, followed by a small lecture studio. This area is intended to transform the notion of an “open patio garden radically.” Since there is no space for a ground courtyard, the main terrace serves as a defining social space. Recyclable content materials, VOC-free paint, and cross-ventilation are widely used, and passive energy-temperature control strategies are built into the core design.
Three heat-exhaustion chimneys serve as the primary devices for controlling high temperatures in bedroom areas.
The vertical garden is a major contributor to air quality and humidity. Where there was no plant before, we have planted over 4,000.
Vertical gardens absorb 187kg of CO2 per year, Green Rooftop Gardens 80kg of CO2 per year, vs. Heat Island Effect TOTAL CO2 absorbed per year 267 kilograms. We want to think of vegetation not only as a practical device for controlling temperature and humidity or as a beautiful, energetic view, but also as an element that serves as a light curtain, creating the idea of a theatrical, dramatic plane, where more space is found at the back.
Credits:
Design Architect: Paul Cremoux W.
Project Team:
Anna Giribets Martin.
Structural Engineering:
Rogelio Carmona.
MEP Engineering, Sustainability Consultant, and Vertical Garden:
Ing. José Antonio Lino Mina, DIA.
General Contractor:
Alfredo Galván,
Photos:
Héctor Armanado Herrera and PCW.
Location:
Mexico City.
