Project Description
The student residence project in the neighborhood Lomas de las Palmas, Huixquilucan, Estado de Mexico, proposes architecture that brings together life and study in community, that follows sustainability principles and resource optimization, with a contemporary and academic aesthetic. The shape was conceived from volumetric experimentation in the field, and the challenging task of generating private and shared spaces for a total of fourteen students. Three privacy levels were defined: the bedrooms, the common interior spaces and the common spaces linked to the outside. Thus, the initial volume was divided into four towers distributing the bedrooms within them. The common areas and the open spaces are displaced in the separations between the towers. The set has four stories, where the bedrooms and common areas are complemented: two study rooms, a recreation area, two lounge areas with grills on the roof garden, a kitchen and dining area, a gym and service areas. The chosen materials (formwork texturized concrete for the main structure, steel chandeliers, concrete floors on exteriors, and terrazzo floors on interiors) generate contrast between textures and stony colors, and require low maintenance. Wood was proposed for some details and finishes. The proposed furniture has an important role in shaping shared spaces, serving in some cases as dividing walls and as elements that help distinguish one space from another and generating interesting paths. Regarding climate and sustainability, a chimney effect was incorporated, that allows a continuous circulation and renewal of air inside the building through open embrasures located on the top floor. Solar panels were added to generate clean energy, as well, a rainwater collection and reuse system. The form and layout of the spaces optimize the entrance of natural light, taking advantage of the landholding’s corner characteristic. This project, conceived from the beginning as a university residence, provides an architectural response to specific student needs, beginning with a privileged location to accommodate students from several universities located in Mexico City’s far west side.