Pachuca 78

Located in one of the most eblematic and vibrant areas of Mexico City, Colonia Condesa, the building dates to the 1940´s where it was designed and built as a residential building. It originally only had only 3 floors with two interior patios, a ventilation and natural lighting shaft and two single car garages with independent acces. The windows, very much in the style of the time in many of the buildings in that area were reduced. The materials used originally in its excecution were terazzo, typical of the time, that was present in the facade and staircase. Prefabricated rose colored concrete was used for the balaustrades that adorned the facade. Paste mosaic was used in bathrooms, kitchens and circulations spaces, juxtaposed with the warm wooden floor in the rest of the spaces. The project consisted in an integral remodelation of the property but respecting its original escence. The original small windows were transformed into large floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors adding even more natural light. The living and dining room were integrated into one space that was more ample and comfortable than the original layout allowed for. The location of bathrooms and kitchens was not touched but they were completely renovated. A fourth floor was added but with it´s front facade recessed from the main facade giving way to a large and ample terrace and therefore not compromising the visual integrity of the original. The fourth floor was made possible with slight structural modifications to the existing building thanks to the substitution of the water storage tanks for a cistern on the ground floor and to the substitution of Polyestirene blocks instead of earth filling in all of the building´s slabs to lighten the structure. A metallic structure was used as well as cement, cast and glass fiber to improve the acoustic and thermal conditions. In this project, unlike the rest of the city, the tenants share the laundry room promoting rational gas, water and electric use. This also allowed the kitchen space to be better utilized. Fotovoltaic Panels were also installed on the roof to generate electical energy used in common areas. One of the light shafts faces the private spaces so amate paper was placed in between the glass panes to diffuse the natural light and create a warm atmosphere while also favoring intimacy. The other light shaft is a warm and inviting neighborhood living space where you can have a coffee or enjoy a good book on Sunday afternoons. Both are a green oasis where the harshness of building materials disappears thanks to plants and the rhythimic geometric designs of the classic floor mosaics. In both the plants rise to the top offering an inviting break from the visual clutter of the city. At the same time and throughout the day through these shafts the natural light enters and floods the spaces. Through the now ample window panes natural ventilation passes allowing for the tenants to enjoy the temperate climate of the city. The outcome of the remodelation is a series of comfortable and cozy spaces, where the urban bustle is forgotten, where everyday activities become affable and the ups and downs of the modern day routine does not come in conflict with human coexistence in the home.