Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito

Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography, Brick, ConcreteCasa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography, Brick, ConcreteCasa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Facade, Beam, WindowsCasa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Interior Photography, BeamCasa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - More Images+ 26

Real de Catorce, Mexico
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  238
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2020
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Adriana Hamui
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  AutoDesk, Adobe, Helvex, Robert McNeel & Associates
  • Lead Architects: Francisco Quiñones, Nathan Friedman
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Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography, Brick, Concrete
© Adriana Hamui

Text description provided by the architects. Casa Georgina, completed in the fall of 2020, is composed of two apartment units built into the steep slope of the Sierra de Catorce mountains in the northern Mexican state of San Luis Potosí. The project sits within a walled garden that contains an existing house and builds upon a series of stone ruins, engaging them through a play of addition and subtraction. Three stepped walls organize the design scheme: wall one contains exterior circulation; wall two frames the interior living spaces; and wall three divides the project from the neighboring property. These walls protect interior spaces from intense direct sunlight from the east and west and structure a collection of terraced volumes. Roof patios open to the south and provide expansive views of the surrounding landscape. 

Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography, Garden
© Adriana Hamui
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Image 24 of 31
Level 1 Plan
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography
© Adriana Hamui

Located in Real de Catorce, a historic silver mining town established in the late 1700s, Casa Georgina complies with strict building regulations that aim to maintain the site’s unique aesthetic character and architectural identity. In addition to height and sight-line restrictions, building mandates specify that all exterior walls be constructed with local stone, through a traditional building technique that is representative of the town. In tandem with the schematic development of the project, these building regulations initiated immediate design considerations at the scale of the detail. This included the repair, reinforcement, and extension of existing, solid stone walls on site, as well as the construction of new walls using a modified and more economical construction method involving stone, cast concrete, and CMU blocks. 

Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography, Brick, Concrete
© Adriana Hamui
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography
© Adriana Hamui
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Image 28 of 31
Section
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Exterior Photography
© Adriana Hamui

The resulting project is one of mediation: between human agents (client, architect, government officials, and local population), form and landscape, existing site elements and future project, traditional building techniques, and contemporary construction methods.

Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Facade, Beam, Windows
© Adriana Hamui
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Image 25 of 31
Section
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Interior Photography, Beam
© Adriana Hamui
Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito - Interior Photography, Windows, Chair, Beam
© Adriana Hamui

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About this office
Cite: "Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito" [Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito] 23 Dec 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/953624/georgina-house-departamento-del-distrito> ISSN 0719-8884

© Adriana Hamui

墨西哥残壁住宅 Casa Georgina / Departamento del Distrito

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