CIUDAD CASA BLANCA

Comercial Center

LEVEL |

PROFESSIONAL PROJECT

ROLE |

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN, BIM MANAGEMENT, LIGHTNING AND INTERIOR DESIGN, PROJECT COORDINATION

DESIGN TEAM |

ALEJANDRA FERRERA (ARCHITECTURE), JAVIER CORTES (BIM MANAGEMENT) ADA RODRIGUEZ (STRUCTURE), (SANITARY), EDWING CASTILLO (POWER)

LOCATION|

DANLI, HONDURAS

YEAR | 2023

AREA | 10300

Ciudad Casa Blanca is a shopping center located in Danli city, Honduras, inspired by the Tobacco culture, which is a symbol of the sites identity.

Description

To define the project concept the first step was to find the essence of Danli city’S culture. Exploring between historical and natural landmarks and local traditions there were three main products for which the city is known nationally and internationally: corn, coffee, and tobacco; each one of them was related to a target group .

University students that live in the countryside as where the corn is produced, that migrate to the city, families where members of all ages consume coffee and finally executives, locals and tourists that savour the high-quality tobacco that represents 70% of the city’s income.

The tobacco culture was selected not only for its impact on the cities economy but also as a symbol of great pride for the country and its potential for spatial expressions. Through the architecture, the concept was shown as a modular grid that defines the starting point for the whole complex, as the grid where tobacco leaves get dried. Cubes are incorporated in between, allowing functionality, flexibility, and economy. The interiors will include elements that resemble leaves on the ceilings and tropical vegetation in the common areas.

The layout is composed by a central plaza surrounded by five blocks connected by pasarellas, terraces, and stairs. Each block has unique characteristics that allow a variety of stores and services. A grandstand in front of the plaza invites to sit, making the space more adaptable for events of different types, enhancing social interactions and permanency.

Level 1

Level 0

Two pergolas enhance the conceptual composition, highlighting the main entrance and create protection from direct sunlight and rain without closing the space, letting air flow and preserving a sense of openness, also helping to control overheating inside the blocks.

The facades combine textures, interior views and a composition of vertical elements that allow internal modularity and flexibility for different layouts, protecting from the sun and to create a dynamic perception.

The project “A place to connect” consisted of the renovation of the Priori Emmaus, a building that will be transformed into a residence for the elderly and people with a small degree of dementia who can live independently but might need occasional health attention. The Monastery is a heritage building of the Bossche School style designed By Jan de Jong and Tom Hans Vanderlaan in Marseen, The Netherlands.

On the urban scale, the site can serve as a connection to the surrounding neighbourhoods. Interventions to allow circulation over the Vetch river and extensions of streets that now are discontinued can be joined with the existing grid improving the relationship with the city centre. The English landscape of the park contrast with the building and straight lines and, in combination with the canals and internal courtyards, enhance the qualities of peace and relations with nature.

Overall the existing building and the site have a great potential for high-quality spaces to create connections with the city, with nature and various places for social interactions. The additional volumes were shaped using rhythms and proportions characteristics of the Bossche School style. The intervention resulted in an extension oriented to the west to preserve the surrounding nature, highlight the existing building qualities so that the old and the new can coexist in a respectful relationship.