In a 202 sq meter property, located in the same area as Mexico City´s WTC, this 5 levels housing development is found. Here CRAFT Arquitectos designed one apartment by floor 150 sq m each, perceived functional and very well lighted.
The challenge was to sort out the narrow plan of the apartments, a 6 by 35 meters gallery. Because of the property´s proportions it was inevitable to have a very long circulation corridor, being the intention from the very beginning to treat this space as the main are of the home, filling it with light and widening the same corridor to create living areas.
They began from a 3 x 3 meters grid considering this module as the best for the distribution of the living spaces in a house. On this pattern two of the modules were selected as light cubes considering the existing voids and patios of the adjacent constructions creating an enhanced feel of spaciousness towards the exterior.
The bays were covered with “reflecta” glass to give privacy between the upper and lower apartments. This cubes besides setting a rhythm along the corridor that connects the different spaces of the house, divide the public and private areas. Through these the bedrooms, bathrooms and the studio open towards the corridor are both lighted and ventilated.
The volume towards the street means to emphasize its vertical proportion, consequently the access is put back and above it soars a concrete box. The selected material for both the pedestrian and vehicular access is also “reflecta” glass mirroring the existing vegetation on the sidewalk and boosting the sensation that the concrete volume is floating.
This frontal box has the balconies and vegetation of the apartments, above it makes contrast a double facade of RAU plate in copper color closing the volume. This folding plate adds motion to the vertical walls with its openings and closings —that the apartment residents may change according to their preference offering a different image of the building by day or night— also gives privacy to the dwellings and acoustically protects them from the traffic noise.
