Aristoteles 235 / JCK

Architects: JCK
Location: Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Design Team: Santiago De La Mora, Fernando Martinez
Area: 1,500 sqm
Year: 2011
Photographs: Courtesy of JCK

Through an architectural design competition it was commissioned a building of 6 apartments with an architectural program for a young family of two rooms with bathroom each one, living room, kitchen, study, open area, utility room, laundry room, extra bathroom, and parking. The land was a challenge because of its proportion, size, and that one of the surrounding buildings is listed by the INBA (Mexican institution for protection of historical buildings), so the new building has to maintain a dialogue with it. As part of the strategy were designed 5 town houses  of 5 levels each including basement, this allowed us to expand the client program and deliver a product that has low offer and high demand in the area.

A horizontal building was projected, maintaining a blind facade to the  street and creating all the openings to the interior where we could control the environment,  the south facade of the building creates a window of 7 m X 29 m long to generate views and light, because this orientation in self-shadowed summer and in winter the facade allows the entry of the sun, to control the overheating was placed a green wall the same size as the window parallel to this to block the sun . To control the climate within each town house there were placed strategically windows an a chimney to allow the hot air out and cool air in, keeping the range of climatic comfort throughout the year, avoiding the implementation of air conditioning and heating. The rooms have a second glass facade and north ventilation, thereby public areas have an independent climate. The construction process of the building consists of 6 reinforced concrete walls and  joined by steel beams. As part of the interior were placed ash wood floor, apparent concrete walls, kitchen black glass and Carrara marble bathrooms.