‘La Cacho’, an old neighborhood in Tijuana, is currently undergoing an “exclusive” and expensive vertical housing complex colonization. This project, made it possible for younger people to afford a living unit in this same neighborhood.
A typical apartment building in Tijuana is a repetitive stacking of a standardized model unit, where exterior space limits to hallways and stairs, and city views are dictated by how high your unit is located, resulting in ‘the taller the better’. Contrary to that, ESPAÑA8477 is assembled by six single story apartments, and four 2-story ones. Each dwelling has its own private exterior space which enables the living space to double in size when sliding doors are open, and enables a unique interior-exterior atmosphere that presides of city views.
The resulting four level structure consists of two separate volumes mounted into the apparent steel grid, which allowed flexibility in the interior layout of each apartment, generating natural light and ventilation due to the empty space between the volumes.
The generated central void houses both vertical and horizontal circulations, empowering interaction with the outside context, while in movement. The building’s scale blends subtlety in the original neighborhood’s built environment.
