The pavilion is an ephemeral construction that was raised with the intention of having a second life when it was rebuilt as part of the Community Center that the architects are building in Ocuilan, a small town about 100km south of Mexico City, which was very affected by the earthquake of September 19, 2017. The pieces with which it was made, were stacked in the same way in which the blocks are placed to dry consists of twelve thousand bricks of compacted earth that echo the earthquakes occurred in 2017 and the subsequent reconstruction tasks.
"From the beginning, our goal was to create a structure that would transcend. We decided to focus on a single material and utilized walls made from compacted earth, an extremely ecological material since the production uses 1% of the energy used to produce conventional materials."
Built as a linear shape on the pond, through a path on water, also made with the same type of blocks, it ends up enclosed between three walls that show at the bottom what looks like a large rock floating in the air.
"We wanted to begin with a walkway, an invitation to stroll over the water. The path is enclosed between three walls that form a U-shape 2.20m above the pond, creating a structure that opens to the sky. The experience takes visitors on a 26-meter long path where water becomes air. Reflections, tricks of the light, and, finally, a stone that appears to be suspended in air, all add to the experience of gravity-defying magic."
The 60-centimeter-thick walls are perforated as a way to broaden the vision of the people who enter the pavilion. The blocks are manufactured using hydraulic pressure applied to the earth with a bit of mixed cement to give them structural stability. With this system blocks of high resistance, waterproof and with thermal and acoustic insulation are achieved. This same system could be applied to housing structures with a height of less than 5 floors and would be 25% cheaper than traditional means.
Centro Comunitario was carried out with the support of PienZa Sostenible, Échale a tu casa, Fideicomiso Fuerza México, Love Army Mexico, Reconstruct MX, FICA Fair of Friendly Cultures and Fundación Origen, and it was possible to visit in Lincoln Park, Polanco, Ciudad de Mexico until October 21, 2018.
