Design Buy Build Issue 30 2018 | Page 79

T his apartment project occupies the lower level of a building on Mexico City’s west side. It generates a dialog between the newly constructed building and its environment, interweaving the project with its landscape and unifying indoors with outdoors. The design process inserted targeted elements that produced a series of specific, outdoor spaces whose function is directly related to the apartment’s indoor activity. The indoor section has a linear axis with access to the rooms crossing through the common, semi-private, and private areas. Likewise, the outdoor layout follows a parallel design; a wall runs along the axis that encloses and divides the areas based on the required activity. The northeast holds two terraces joined by a pergola; the first houses a living and dining area with a vertical garden built of wooden boxes reclaimed from the shoring system used in the construction. The second terrace rests on a lower overhang, suggesting a closer relationship with the landscape. Finally, a staircase connects it with the gully underneath the structure. The southwest houses a more private garden that connects to the bedrooms, the TV room and kitchen, culminating in a contemplative space known as the Garden Box. This open module is designed for an intimate interaction between the spectator and the garden. WEBSITE:WWW.ASP.MX / PHOTO CREDITS: RAFAEL GAMO 79