From a collaboration between the architecture studios JSa and mta+v PEDRE emerges, a residential building that recognizes the environmental value of the area by integrating itself into the already developed periphery that surrounds it in Mexico City. The project is located in the vicinity of the Pedregal de San Ángel Ecological Reserve, near the central campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

The building has numerous open spaces designed as a proposal for a relationship with nature and the evolution of a fertile territory for the growth of PEDRE as an urban complex on a social scale. The project is complemented by contemporary elements and the industrial remains of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Organised by a radial staircase that leads to three organically shaped extensions, the project developed by JSa and mta+v has 14 floors above ground level where we find eighteen different types of housing. In an organic way and according to the diversity of housing, the different interior spaces, the rhythm, proportion and scale of the project are formed.

A game of solids and voids shapes the building accompanied by the presence of endemic vegetation and respectful materials that integrate the new construction in the area. The materials and finishes used in the project dialogue with the environment, generating a sober, discreet and elegant construction thanks to the exposed concrete, aluminium and glass.

PEDRE por JSa y mta+v. Fotografía por Rafael Gamo.

PEDRE by JSa and mta+v. Photograph by Rafael Gamo.

Project description by JSa and mta+v

PEDRE embodies the harmonious assembly of an architecture which folds compose functional structures, solid constructions, optimal materials, interiors that become exteriors, custom-made furniture and landscape panoramic views that dialogue with the territory. Located in the vicinity of the Pedregal de San Ángel Ecological Reserve, the project not only recognizes the environmental value of the area by integrating itself to the already developed periphery that surrounds it, but also compliments the modernist architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico central campus, and the industrial past of the San Ángel and Loreto neighborhoods.

The architectural project weaves a balance between densities; a positive balance between built and permeable area. Thirty percent of the free area corresponds to open spaces, circulations, lobby and recreation areas. The average density of the building is consistent with the respectful vision of the surrounding environment, the history of El Pedregal, as well as the industrial, artistic and cultural heritage of the area, its permanence and transformation.

PEDRE por JSa y mta+v. Fotografía por Rafael Gamo.
PEDRE by JSa and mta+v. Photograph by Rafael Gamo.

The diversity of housing is extremely relevant, both for the solution of interior spaces and for the rhythm, proportion and scale of the project. Spread over 14 floors, 112 apartments—of 18 different typologies from 90 to 300 m2 on average—constitute the main structure of the building. The radial core is the backbone of the space, giving way to three bodies with different organic projections that unfold and approach the city.

Finishes and materials in exposed concrete, aluminum and glass merge architecture with structural engineering, turning minimums into maximums, favoring a sober, discreet and elegant construction with a careful proportion between openings and solids. In response to the physical and natural context, the project exalts the region natural deposits with a stone basement and endemic vegetation. Access points, sidewalks, bays, lobbies and public spaces belong to the public construction of the collective memory of the region.

The morphology, folds, insets, columns, balconies, undulations and symbiosis between verticals and curves, bet on an emblematic building with meanings and signifiers beyond what is built. Architecture for the place, specifically designed as a response to the origin and evolution of a fertile territory for the growth of PEDRE as an urban complex on a social scale.

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Architects
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JSa. Lead architects.- Javier Sánchez, Benedikt Fahlbusch, Aisha Ballesteros.
mta+v. Architect.- Miguel de la Torre.

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Collaborators
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Landscape.- Devas Paisaje.
Woodwork.- Dimadmx.
Furniture.- EWE &  Esrawe.
Structure Engineering.- Estructura Héctor Margain.
Engineerings.- Elix.
Lighting.-  Martín Leal.

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Contractor
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Factor Eficiencia.

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Area
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47,000 sqm.

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Dates
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Design.- 2018.
Completed.- 2022.

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Location
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Mexico City, Mexico.

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Manufacturers
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Bubbledeck México.
Furniture.- EWE &  Esrawe.

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Photography
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JSa Arquitectura. Architecture studio founded by Javier Sánchez in 1996 dedicated to the reconversion and renovation of the urban fabric. Led by Aisha Ballesteros, Benedikt Fahlbusch and Javier Sánchez, it has a multidisciplinary team in Mexico City and Lima, Peru. With more than 180 projects built in Mexico, South America and Europe, its work covers heritage renovation, cultural promotion, hospitality experiences, sustainable solutions, community and work spaces, and the study of housing. It has received more than 120 awards.

Awarded more than 55 national and international awards and with more than 15 years of experience, it develops projects of various kinds such as houses, homes, social housing, museums, schools, commercial spaces, cultural spaces, offices, mixed-use buildings, public spaces, etc.

Javier Sánchez. Founding partner and director of the workshop. Architect from the National Autonomous University of Mexico with honours (1996), with a Master's in Science and Development of Real Estate Projects from Columbia University, New York (1998). His work has focused on urban acupuncture projects and the recovery of architectural heritage.

His recognitions include the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale (2006) for the Brasil 44 social housing project; the Best New Global Design award from the Chicago Athenaeum (2007) for the Condesa DF hotel; the Gold Medal of the National Biennial of Mexican Architecture (2020) by the MMAC Juan Soriano; and recently, the Housing Award from the American Institute of Architects (2022) for the Casa Cosecha de Lluvia project (in collaboration with RHA).

In 2008 he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA); in 2009 he entered the National System of Art Creators of the System of Support for Creation and Cultural Projects (previously known as FONCA); and since 2011 he is a member of the National Academy of Architecture. In 2014 he was invited to give the Federico E. Mariscal Extraordinary Chair at the Faculty of Architecture of the UNAM, in recognition of his outstanding and high level of performance in the architectural discipline.

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mta+v. Architecture studio founded and directed by architect Miguel de la Torre, with offices in Mexico City and Los Cabos. With more than two decades of experience, it has been awarded internationally for its creativity and innovation in architectural projects. The firm stands out for redefining excellence in contemporary architecture, creating spaces that tell unique stories and set new standards in design. Its distinctive approach and commitment to quality have cemented its reputation as a benchmark in the global architectural arena.

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