SABOR A MIEL, APARTMENTS
Place and matter are two key words that define the material selection, construction system, sustainability concept and architectural design and which are applied to a multistory housing development.
Place and matter are two key words that define the material selection, construction system, sustainability concept and architectural design and which are applied to a multistory housing development. The commercial project is developed by a real estate company based in Yucatán and led by a team of young entrepreneurs with an awareness of the added value that quality design contributes. The target market is of a diverse origin but with a shared appreciation of the richness of the natural environment of the region as a reason to invest in a second property. Under this principle, the chukum stucco was used completely in all interior and exterior walls, which creates an identity and character to the new building while minimizing operative and maintenance costs.
In the same way we did Casa Sisal but transposed to a larger scale, the execution of the chukum stucco was possible due to the training and experience of the labor force whom since 1996 has collaborated in projects by our studio. This finishing technique of mayan origin was identified, recovered and recreated with present day materials for the first time that same year, and the formula was redevelop to be cost effective with industrialized materials of the Peninsula. The main challenge of applying this finish was solved with a joint layout design considering the maximum surface per working day a single mason can execute. As a result, the layout transcends a simple plastic aesthetic and contributes a tectonic dialectic as an inherent part of its architectonical expression.
The building rises in a corner plot of 20m x 22m, 200 m from the beach and one block away from the main commercial avenue of Playa del Carmen. The building houses 17 apartments ranging from 66m2 to 145m2 in a single or double story with a one to three bedroom configuration. All of this arranged in 5 stories with a parking garage underground and a roof terrace with a bar, pool and gym, with panoramic views of the sea side.
Considering the limiting size of the plot for an extensive program and taking into consideration the demand for a sustainable building we established an arrangement of two blocks. Separated by a patio which works as an atrium for walkways in each floor, both blocks consist of four different typologies of apartments and a modular system of six sizes, organized by a span of 4.35 m, which allowed the structure to be rationalized.
The elevations of the building were designed considering the maximizing the internal wind flow and reducing the amount of solar incidence, both passive strategies for sustainable design. This strategies also defined the concept of having covered terraces towards the east elevation which look towards the sea. In addition to this, all apartments have crossed ventilation in their social area. As conclusion, the open atrium covers the following fundamental functions, as a hinge and entry to the building coming from the street and a wind funnel effect.
The interiors were designed with a strategy of maximum optimization of the interior by creating “interior exterior” spaces. For example, the terraces and even the atrium work as transitional spaces and as a connection between outdoor and indoor climatic conditions, which also introduces different scales of space.
Finally, everything in this project is related to its two main design intentions laid out from its conception: make the most out of its location and its urban and natural environment, and to contribute to an architectural image according to the creative force and tradition for which Playa del Carmen stood up in its beginnings as a tourist destination.
