Occupying the lower level of a residential building on Mexico City’s west side, this apartment designed by ASP Arquitectura Sergio Portillo generates a dialog between the newly constructed building and its environment, interweaving the project with its landscape and unifying the indoors with outdoors.
According to the architect, the design process infuses targeted elements that produce a series of specific, outdoor spaces that accommodate 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,” the architect says. “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.
“Three transition elements were built with reinforced concrete, each with its distinctive energy,” the architect explains. “The first is a pool of water that symbolizes the purification of the access space, while endowing the access with movement and sound. The second consists of a garden of energy stones, while the third is a vegetable garden, designed to blend the gully’s natural vegetation with the terraces.”
Photo credits: Rafael Gamo
