Tepoztlán is a region located in the state of Morelos, in the south-central part of the country, bordered by the states of Guerrero, Puebla, the State of Mexico, and Mexico City. Spanning an area of 242.646 square kilometers, it is one of the 111 Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) designated to boost tourism by highlighting the unique attributes of each destination.
July 20th marks the date when Colombia celebrates its independence from Spanish rule. Two centuries later, the very idea of independence remains debatable. Although the Colombian republic is constitutionally independent, colonial legacies continue to structurally dominate society today.
Tulum is a region located in southeastern Mexico, within the geographic boundaries of the state of Quintana Roo. Situated along the Caribbean coast, it forms part of the Riviera Maya. Historically, Tulum was a walled city, which is the origin of its name—meaning "wall" in Mayan, a term coined when the settlement was already in ruins.
The National Social Distancing Campaign (Jornada de Sana Distancia) in Mexico began on March 23, 2020, but a couple of weeks prior—even as the Federal Government recommended continuing normal activities—social media users were already opting to replicate the European model and self-isolate. Right away, some architecture firms made the decision to close their physical offices and transition to a remote work model, while others took a few more weeks to do so. However, this period of social and physical (spatial) distancing is experienced differently in every household. Over the months that this pandemic has unfolded, it has exposed not only the inequality regarding basic needs in dense urban areas, but also the fragility of our established social order. Whether at a macro or micro scale, all these experiences occur within and are influenced by the built environment, making architecture both arbiter and active participant in this equation.
One of the most critical factors in architectural design is the site's specific climate. While this can present challenges in extreme conditions—requiring insulating materials to adapt to shifting environments—Mexico's privileged climate works in the architects' favor. It allows them to create microclimates and spaces that blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors.
In light of recent developments surrounding COVID-19, the Mexico City government, in conjunction with the Mexico City Reconstruction Commission, announced that the reconstruction plan addressing the September 19, 2017 earthquakes will not be suspended. Instead, health and social distancing measures will be implemented to allow support and construction processes to continue.
Traditional architecture is based on a complex understanding of dwelling, the collective production and transmission of knowledge, and construction through mutual-aid community processes that strengthen the social fabric, cultural identity, and territorial bond. In other words, it is a practice of community self-production where the inhabitants themselves, without intermediaries, manage the multiple processes involved in materializing their habitat, always relying on collective intelligence. Today, architecture has shifted from being a communal asset to an exclusive language of a few where, despite still requiring the organized participation of various actors, its production is credited to a single author: an individual entity who, without possessing the diverse knowledge required to complete a work from start to finish, is recognized as the mastermind behind all processes. The professionalization of architecture has not only individualized its discourse and complicated the transmission of knowledge; it has also discriminated against and rejected the knowledge produced outside of academic, professional, and governmental institutions, labeling it as precarious—thereby opening the door to racism.
This article on housing in Mexico aims to understand the city we have experienced. The guidance of specialists was crucial to grasping some of its complexity. Special thanks to Josefina McGregor, Andrés Sañudo, and Rosalba Loyde for sharing their knowledge for the realization of this article.
When lockdown reached Mexico in March due to COVID-19, the hashtag #YoMeQuedoEnCasa became more relevant than ever. Yet, as the days passed, the slogan was replaced by #ParaQuedarseEnCasaHayQueTenerUna after several media outlets and citizen collectives denounced the attempted eviction of an elderly person from their apartment in the Trevi Building in the middle of quarantine. These evictions have occurred gradually, such as that of reporter Carlos Acuña in August 2019.
As one of Mexico's most prominent cities and business hubs, Monterrey is situated within the territory of Nuevo León, a state in the country's Northeast region that borders Texas, defining a significant portion of the US-Mexico border. Covering just over 451.30 square kilometers with an average elevation of 500 meters above sea level, the municipality is bordered to the north by San Nicolás de los Garza and General Escobedo; to the south by San Pedro Garza García and Santiago; to the east by Guadalupe, Juárez, and Cadereyta; and to the west by Santa Catarina and García.
The call for entries for the Third Edition of the Oscar Niemeyer Award for Latin American Architecture, presented by the Network of Architecture Biennials of Latin America, has successfully concluded. A total of 101 works from 12 Latin American countries are participating, with Mexico represented by 30 high-quality and diverse projects—all clear examples of outstanding contemporary architectural production.
Mexico's National Social Distancing Campaign began on March 23, 2020. However, a couple of weeks prior—even in the face of the federal government's recommendation to continue normal activities—social media users were already opting to mirror the European model and self-isolate. Architecture firms immediately began closing their physical spaces to transition to remote work, though for others, the shift took several weeks. Yet, this period of social and physical (spatial) distancing is experienced differently in every household. Over the months of this pandemic, we have witnessed not only the inequities in access to basic needs in dense urban areas, but also the fragility of the social order itself. Whether at a macro or micro scale, all of these experiences occur within and are shaped by the built environment, positioning architecture as both an active participant and a critical arbiter in this equation.
One of the most important factors in design is the site's specific climate. This can pose a challenge in extreme weather, where insulating materials are required to adapt to changing conditions. However, in the case of Mexico and its privileged climate, this factor works to the architects' advantage, allowing them to create microclimates and spaces that blur the transition between indoors and outdoors.
An exclusive issue dedicated to Mexican architecture is the theme of the latest edition of World Architecture (WA) magazine in China, curated by the ArchDaily team. Published by Tsinghua University since its founding in 1980, World Architecture magazine is one of the largest and most prestigious architectural publications in China.
Given its diverse climate and geography, Mexico's wine production has steadily gained recognition in states such as Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, Puebla, Querétaro, Sonora, and Zacatecas. In these regions, vineyards are increasingly in the spotlight, alongside wine festivals and curated experiences that offer visitors an immersive look into the various stages of production.
On June 17, Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) issued a landmark ruling ordering the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) to generate disaggregated statistical data on populations in informal or precarious settlements across the country. This resolution brings to the forefront the discussion on the role that judges can and should play when making decisions that directly impact urban planning, land management, our cities, and our housing.
Located in the country's northwestern region, the state of Baja California Norte borders California (in the United States), Sonora, and Baja California Sur (in Mexico). Along with Baja California Sur, these are the only two Mexican states flanked by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sea of Cortez to the east, harboring some of the most breathtaking landscapes and coastlines in the country.
PRODUCTORA is a Mexico City-based architecture studio founded by Abel Perles (1972, Argentina), Carlos Bedoya (1973, Mexico), Víctor Jaime (1978, Mexico), and Wonne Ickx (1974, Belgium). The firm is characterized by its emphasis on precise geometries in an effort to generate legible projects with clear gestures, as well as its pursuit of timeless material and spatial resolutions.
This article is part of a collaboration with the website coolhuntermx and was originally published under the title "Housing Production in Rural Mexico."
Between virtual panel discussions and tweets sparking debate on housing and its role during the pandemic, addressing this issue in Mexico is as complex as the country's history and as vast as its territory. The article What About the Right to Adequate Housing in Mexico? offered an overview of the laws governing Mexico City and urban conditions. But what about housing in rural areas?
.jpg?1594917129&format=webp&width=230&height=230&crop=true)
.jpg?1593472562&format=webp&width=230&height=230&crop=true)
.jpg?1593472682&format=webp&width=230&height=230&crop=true)
.jpg?1596823999&format=webp&width=230&height=230&crop=true)
.jpg?1596824644&format=webp&width=230&height=230&crop=true)
