Architecture is the art of how to waste space. Philip Johnson Architecture is the reaching out for the truth.. Louis Kahn Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light. Le Corbusier Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Every great architect is - necessarily - a great poet.He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age. - Frank Lloyd Wright The Art of Seeing. It is essential to an architect to know how to see: I mean, to see in such a way that the vision is not overpowered by rational analysis. Luis Barragan I absolutely believe that architecture is a social activity that has to do with some sort of communication or places of interaction, and that to change the environment is to change behaviour. Thom Mayne I believe that the way people live can be directed a little by architecture. Tadao Ando I think that the ideal space must contain elements of magic, serenity, sorcery and mystery. Luis Barragan I call architecture frozen music. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space. Philip Johnson Great architecture can only be achieved through the balance between cultural background and technological innovation. Manuel F elix Cardenas
MFC architecture|urbanism
educación 09-11 - TU Delft (Delft, Países Bajos)
Maestría en Urbanismo
03-08 - Tec de Monterrey (Ciudad de México, México)
Licenciatura en Arquitectura Especialización en Diseño Urbano 07 - Chalmers Tekniska Högskola (Gotemburgo, Suecia) Programa de Intercambio Internacional 04 - Drury University (Volos, Grecia)
MANUEL FÉLIX CÁRDENAS architecture|urbanism
Curso “Culture and Place. The Greek Legacy”
04 - École Spéciale d’Architecture (Paris, Francia)
Curso “Tendencies of Modern Architecture in Paris”
extracuricular 11-12 - POLIS Platform for Urbanism Organizador de “Urbanism Week” (urbanismweek.nl/)
06 - Servicio Social
(Clínica de Rehabilitación Infantil San Vicente)
01 - Selección Mexicana de Hockey
3er lugar en Juegos de Invierno de las Olimpiadas Especiales en Anchorage, Alaska
experiencia 09 - Arquitecto Freelance
Diseño de guardería infantil y supervisión de obra info 31/03/84 08 - Diseñador Urbano Freelance Mejoramiento de 40 cruceros peatonales Mexicano 08 - Internship en Sanchez Arquitectos y Asociados
Diseño Urbano & Planeación
05 - Proyecto escolar realizado tutor: M. Arq. Raúl Gonzalez
contacto Manuel Félix Cárdenas Periférico Sur 449 int 2 01060, Cd. de México +52 (55) 44.50.87.54 mfelixcardenas@gmail.com
Improving the historic center of Tlalpan
habilidades AutoCAD 3DS Max Sketchup Illustrator Photoshop InDesign idiomas español english français nederlands intereses fotografía diseño arte viajar
Este portafolio es una selección del trabajo realizado durante mi periodo educacional el cual incluye cinco años de licenciatura en el Tec de Monterrey Campus Ciudad de México, un semestre en Chalmers Tekniska Högskola en Gotemburgo y dos años de Maestría en TU Delft .
Everexpanding City Location: Tizayuca, Hidalgo, Mexico Year: 2011 (Graduation Project)
PAST & PRESENT IN A GLIMPSE The everexpanding city is a project that focuses on the trend of urban growth that has occurred since the second half of the twentieth century in many cities around the world and some of the issues that arise with the effects of this type of development. Some cities, while expanding beyond their original limits, fuse themselves in great new connurbations known as mega-regions or region-cities. This project takes as its starting point the emergence of these mega-regions in the world and focuses in particular on how these have changed our understanding of urban space and its features and qualities both physical and social. According to the UN Habitat, these new urban settings, despite the fact that they create more regional divisions, are becoming the new engine of regional and global economies. Florida refers to them as the “fundamental economic unit of our time... They harness human creativity in a massive scale and are responsible for most of the world’s scientific achievement and technological innovations.� The mega-regions are being formed from the spatial expansion of geographically connected metropolitan areas and other urban settings; from the fusion of regions with high demographic density; from a relevant economic capacity and from considerable innovative activities as well as a lot of skilled labour inherente in them. In the same line, globalization has made modern cities to compete in a worldwide environment, the city-system aims to have a stronger international presence. Mega-regions are now part of international systems as cities are part of national systems, they have taken the place of cities as the engines of the global economy.
Impressions of the physical qualities of social housing in the metropolitan periphery of Mexico City
Residential Expansion Ecological Preservation Residential Buffer Belt Industrial Area Infrastructure Services Agriculture Land Commercial Highway Expected development for the municipality of Tizayuca
Since the early years of the second half of the twentieth century, populaton in Mexico has shifted from being mainly rural to predominantly urban. During the 1970s some predictions were made saying that Mexico City was on its way to becoming a megalopolis of 30 million people or more, clearly that has not happened, the population of the city centre is static, and some of its denser historic areas have been in decline. The growth is now concentrating in the urban sprawl border which extends beyond the city limits in areas where gated communities are not just for the privileged JosÊ Castillo describes these new urban settlements as largescale interventions with a limited amount of planning. In these developments of large gated communities, homogeneous streets, repetitive rows of houses and a prevalence of cul de sacs have become the prevailing urban strategy. Even though that for over thirty years the state has supported investments in social housing, serious housing problems in Mexico and in MCMA remain. Until now, Mexico City has been planned bit by bit, what it needs is a plan for urban development that steers the city into a more social, economic and environmentally sustainable future. This project intends to redirect the development in the periurban fringe of Mexico City’s Metropolitan Area and provide a better living environment for the people who live there. It is aiming to stop the low-dense mono-functional urbanisation process and reverse it, as well as the informal urbanisation in order to create areas with their own character and easy accessibility to basic services. Areas in which it is possible to live, not only survive. Areas that stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit of people and therefore boost the local economy, making them more functionally independent from Mexico City. The first thing to do is recognize and accept the physical, social and economic qualities and characteristics of this kind of settlements. It is also necessary to identify not only the weaknesses, but also the potentialities and the opportunities this settlements have.
rural periphery
commuting limit
rural-urban border urban border
central city consolidated urban area metropolitan periphery
unplanned urbanization & peripheral urbanization metropolitan periphery
expanded periphery
urban centre
voornseplein from N-W
Centre of Tizayuca Town of Tizayuca Settlements Industrial area Possible expansion Business District Central Park Strategic vision for Tizayuca
Water Agriculture land Highways Projected roads Train Hub
It aims to opening up settlements without tearing down walls and make every single corner accessible. It is about identifying possible intervention areas that attract investment and activate the settlements. They should be easily accessible by any means (foot, public transport, bicycle, etc.) and they should be connected to each other. Finally, one of the most important points of this project, citizen participation and its role in taking care of the living environment. This project is aiming to generate a stronger sense of community by providing spaces that can be appropriated by the residents and be transformed according to their needs. These strategies aim to become a model that can be copied and implemented all over the metropolitan periphery adapting to the conditions of the place.
Park to preserve the landscape & connect the municipality
Some remarks I would like to mention here how this project responds to very specific conditions present in Mexico and particularly at Mexico City metropolitan area. This project tries to solve urban physical problems concerning a very specific geographic place by dealing with sociocultural and socio-economic issues. This strategic proposal is a response to the current situation Mexico is currently experiencing and express its possible strategic actions considering the current planning framework of Mexico City. The whole project revolves around recognizing realities and proposing an integral approach. By recognizing these elements a new scenario is presented in which the metropolitan reality (metropolitan mobility plans) meets local realities with no planning framework. The metropolitan projects (based on their main stakeholders) have the power to transform the local realities of an area by improving the connectivity and accessibility between the fragments that can be found in the local scale. By creating clear physical communication channels, the fragments can start working together and
Reconnecting the municipality thus making it more accesible
Pedestrian friendly streets with local commercial activity & access to public transport
bring different dynamics to the area. This is the first step of the process, in which the formal and the informal are recognized, accepted, and physically and socially integrated. Once this has been done, they can become part of a more complex network that works in a larger scale. Using existing infrastructure to add new functions in combination with different transport means
Opening of walled settlementsby adding different functions
Re-activating existing natural elements
Re-activate the agriculture & activate the side of the roads
Levensloopbestendige Wijk
as
a Nie uw e M
Location: Oud Charlois, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Year: 2010 (MSc 4)
Ma a
Current mobility patterns
Desired mobility patterns
Dorpsweg
Waa l Have n
Waa lhav en
During the mobility research 40 inhabitants of the Oud-Charlois were tracked for 7 days with GPS (Global Positioning System) devices. With the obtained data a map was created showing the time of the trip, the means people use to move around and the purpose of those trips. Additionaly to this information, the participants were asked to answer a questionnaire with the purpose to know a little bit more about their personal preferences for shopping, or walking, whether they feel safe on certain streets, etc. Finally, all these information was compared to information obtained from the GIS-Web (a data collection website that contains geographical information about the city and which is available for everybody. The range of information that can be found in this website is very wide, it goes from the location and amount of shops, health care facilities, and police stations in an area, to more precise information such as the exact amount of people living in a neighbourhood, criminal activity, and safety indexes.) With all these information, a number of analysis were done in order to understand the movement of the people within the neighbourhood and even the city. From these analysis it was possible to conclude although certain areas are perceived as unsafe and unwelcoming, they are still used because most facilities are there. Facilities such as shops
O.z.
icw: Michael van Pelt, Soudabeh Rajaei, Richard de Ruiter, Tom Schilder, Sander Trentelman
ven sha
Zuidplein AHOY
Wiel e-
waa&l stitches on country, regional & city scale Existing patches
Z u i d e r p ark
Plein 1953
Elderly residents
Public transport
Safety
Facilities
Slow traffic
Fast traffic
and public transport stops, etc. The aim of an assisted living area is to offer, a certain group of people, facilities that would improve and ease their everyday life. Such facilities include health care, transportation and accesibility options, diverse daytime activities, among others. Several organizations are involved in the creation and management of these areas, and they all try to accomplish one goal; the well-being of the citizen. The current believe is that all of this functions should occur in an area with no more than 500 m of radius. From the analysis a network is created which enables the emergence of the neighbourhood for life and therefor benefits Oud-Charlois. The map shows the important north to south and east to west connections. These connections generate relations between spaces which have a lot of potential to become attractors. The network is strongly attached to the development of an art culture, and the potentiation of the local economy by means of locally owned businesses and many other facilities, and it’s connectivity to them. The intention of these interventions is to create new traffic flows all throughout Oud-Charlois, therefor connecting the neighbourhood. This is shown in the mobility tracks.
Visiting is combined with shopping. Most used routes have more commercial facilities Program: Additional program: Housing buildings 10.800m2 Ateliers for artists Shops and horeca 1.520m2 Botanical greenhouse Health care 5.250m2
P
elderly & artists housing
playground
main building
voornsevliet
horeca & shops
voornseplein
Voornseplein from S-W
Voornsehof connection
Voornseplein from N-W
Bridge over boergoensevliet
Impressions of before and after
Patching & Stitching Location: IJsselmonde, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Year: 2010 (MSc 3)
icw: Evelina Ozola, Detlef Prince, Ido Sokolov
STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT WITH IDEALISTIC INTENTIONS & REALISTIC TENDENCIES What if the left-over space generated by highway infrastructure was filled with flood waters and surrounded by green recreational grounds? What if more regionally appealing areas were located on IJsselmonde? IJsselmonde is surrounded by water and spots of green. However, the waterways are used either for transporting goods or attractive scenery; they could also be used for mobility and recreational purposes. IJsselmonde is criss-crossed by massive infrastructural corridors that act as barriers but at the same time connect in the Randstad and Benelux scale. This island could benefit more from these threads. It is covered with numerous residential neighbourhoods, industrial areas and a few spots that hold functions that are important on a bigger scale. There should be more of these destinations as they appeal on city and regional scale. A new water route could interconnect neighbourhoods in the centre of the island and bring them closer to the Maas river. A new metro line could create a new loop, new hubs and connect loose ends. Patches in the metropolitan plan: - a port redevelopment with a knowledge based core - RDM campus. Offices, research and design centres and housing are expected to grow around it; - a new public/private transport interchange hub near Waalhaven Zuid. Housing and offices to be introduced in a business and trade area; - a recreational area incorporating agriculture, recreation and relocated Blijdorp Zoo in order to lock this green patch on IJsselmonde; - a mixed agricultural/residential/business
Understanding IJsselmonde’s networks
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
area as test grounds for new typologies and new lifestyles. Stitches in the metropolitan plan: - a new watercourse underneath highway A15; - a new river crossing at the tip of Waalhaven area; - a new metro line. There would be clear hierarchy of recreational spaces: riverfront in the North, active mobility and sports by the new watercourse in the middle, small scale green spaces in every neighbourhood and large scale green spaces by the riverfront in the South. Areas within the highway ring are physically and functionally linked to the centre of Rotterdam. Hoogvliet is oriented towards Spijkenisse, -Drecht cities act as one entity, but neighbourhoods in the middle form a belt of patches that deserve to be strengthened.
Ideas for Patching & Stitching IJsselmonde
Patches on IJsselmonde
Stitches in IJsselmonde
Interventions along the road network
Impressions of possible future scenario
Dissecting The Port Location: Heijplaat, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Year: 2010 (MSc 3)
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE PORT Most of the times, harbour areas share the same characteristics which make them unique. They are isolated entities within the urban structure which can be read independently from the rest. Nevertheless, they are there, and they affect the dynamics of the city. They are part of a bigger whole. They are very well connected to the main service infrastructure (either road or train networks) in order to move all the goods and products that are being handled; but are very poorly connected to the urban traffic system, or even worse, they are connected and make a total chaos in the city. They lack green spaces. Not recreational areas, or parks, or natural reserves, just some designed green pedestrian-friendly spaces which could be used by the workers who on a day to day basis commute to those areas. Future Situation The plan for this area will be treated as an extension of the city of Rotterdam. It will act as a new center for it. Commercial activities of all kinds, ranging from the small scale privately own bakery, to the large sports shop will be registered in this place. New businesses centres, and office buildings alongside different types of housing such as lofts, or family appartements. Educational centres and industrial areas being complemented by cafeterias, pubs and restaurants. Cultural amenities will also be found in this place as well as hotels, and hostels which will serve the whole area and give a big boost to the economy. The intention of this program is not to compete with the centre of Rotterdam, but to complement it, the best outcome can be reached by making this two places work in collaboration with each other rather than fight each other.
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
Process First, integrate the harbour to the city, making it easy to read as part of the urban structure. Introduce greenery in the area and break the shape of the harbour in order to make more room for water and enhancing the east-west relation. Connectivity The east-west connections will be the ones in charge of stitching everything to the city. They will go through two very important points which are at the moment very poorly connected or not connected at all. Pernis and Heijplaat. Program Diversity in typology brings diversity in cultural and economical backgrounds. It is through housing that social mix can be achieved. Small scale commercial activity is also the basis for a strong economy. Economic sustainability can be achieved by the introduction and support of small scale businesses which can appear in any form, restaurants, cafes, hotels, bakeries, and any other kind of shop or store that can be owned by the very members of that community, and in that way reinforcing the sense of belonging. The cultural scene is one of those players that is intended to be attracted. Movie theater, galleries, artists studios, theaters, workshops, etc. This kind of landmark will be visible and easily accesible, besides, having public functions as the stepping stone, instead of office buildings or housing units extends the urban land across the river and is more inviting to come and use.
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
Existing patches & stitches on country, regional & city scale
FArO X
Location: San Bartolo El Chico, Xochimilco, Mexico Year: 2008 (10th semester)
icw: JosĂŠ Larroa-Fink
ARTS & CRAFTS FOR XOCHIMILCO The Faro X is an alternative cultural proposal which objective is to promote artistic disciplines to a population that is generally isolated from conventional cultural circuits. The Faro X is the combination of a school of arts with a cultural space and a public square, it also has art galleries, cinemas and a theater, and it usually offers various workshops with no cost.
The context. In red the area for the FArO
The aim of this project is to regenerate a run down area which has been neglected by the municipal and city governments. The whole masterplans intends to improve the living conditions of the inhabitans of this area and give them transportation options an recreational facilities such as parks and cultural centres.With the implementation of this projects, specially the transport hub and the Faro X, this whole place will be re-activated and the residents will start to see an improvement in their living conditions. Masterplan of the new development. In blue, the area for the FArO
Impressions of the area
Emplacement of the building
View towards the east & main entrance
A new urban development in the southern part of Mexico City is the backdrop for this cultural center surrounded by many other services such as parks, a transport hub, a school, a fire department, a clinic, amongst other. This development is divided in two, the housing block with services and the public block where the transport station, the school and the cultural center are located. This center has arts & crafts workshops, small movie screens, a gallery and a coffe shop as well as a souvenir store. Formally, the building has a “C” shape which opens to the public square and welcomes people into it. It is comprised by two elements, the first one, made up of gavion walls touches the ground and encloses the square, this block holds the gallery and cafeteria. The second element appears to float amongst trees. It is a big u-glass built block which houses the workshops and studios (the learning centre). This block separates itself from the ground to allow the flow of people from the transpot hub into the square and then into the Faro X. Finally, the intersection of both elements creates the theatre. This place is destined not only for performances from the students or professional companies, but it is also meant as a meeting place for the community. It will become their gathering point where they can discuss issues relevant to the community.
Floor plans of the FArO
Cross sections of the FArO
In spanish the word “faro” means beacon, and just like that, this project intends to be a beacon for a new and better community.
View of the main entrance
Ny Esperanto Torg Location: Haga, Göteborg, Sweden Year: 2007 (8th semester)
RECONNECT-REVIVE-REUSE Göteborg is the second largest city in Sweden after Stockholm and the fifth largest amongst the Nordic countries. It is the capital of Västra Götaland County. The city is located on the south-west coast. Göteborg has a population of 510,491 in the urban area. The metropolitan area has a population of 905,729. Focusing our attention in Pustervik many issues come to sight, the surroundings are very deteriorated, this in part because of the tunnel construction that’s going on right now, but also because of the presence of the power plant. The other building that interrumps the relation between the river and the Haga-Järntorget area is the Folkets Hus, an old, massive building standing up right in the middle of everything, without it, the area would be wider, much more open, and you would be able to see the connection between the land and the river, and adding a bridge to connect you to the other side of the river you get a complete connection, you add the missing link.
Concept behind the final proposal
Göteborg is a city with a lot of potential but at the same time with a lot of fear to try something new. It is a city with a lot of cultural heritage and a very rich industrial history but that does not exploit it. A city that has everything, man power, resources, infrastructure, etc, but just doesn’t figure in the map. This is something that with a little bit of will can be easily changed. This project aims to create a new urban landscape in which people can interact in a more active way, making the buildings not only the new area limits, but also the new landscape. The project arises from the need to revitilize this forgotten and abandoned place. Evolution of the idea
The project consists of small interventions aiming to activate the riverfront by adding cultural as well as leisure centres complemented by shops and office buildings. All of this in a new urban setting that tries attach everything together. Instead of demolishing the existing buildings, they will be tried to be reused, by changing their program, entry points and by adding new elements that help define the public space.
Intervention in context
Impressions of end result
Section through the intervention
Casa LF
Location: San Angel, Mexico City, Mexico Year: 2005 (4th semester)
PAST & PRESENT IN A GLIMPSE San Ángel is one of the few free places within the city. Chaos hasn’t find a place in it; it seems as if time had stopped there, very slowly, this neighborhood has been adapting to modernity, it hasn’t let the city devour it. The “barrio” of San Ángel is a metamorphic place. It has a huge cultural baggage and a great traditional responsability. San Ángel has changed, it used to be a place for relaxation and fun, a place demanded by the “high society” of Mexico. It is prefered because it is one of the best kept places in the city, it is a place where you can interact with nature in a very direct way and because it is always “in fashion”. San Ángel nowadays is a place full of shops and restaurants next to historic buildings such as the Ex-Convent of the Carmelitas or San Jacinto. All of these elements interact in such a way that the harmony of the place doesn’t seem to be altered. The chaotic disorder seems to have taken control over the whole city, but it just can’t find a place in San Ángel, eventhough it has come very close for we can find big important avenues such as Insurgentes, Revolución and the Peripheric ring. The aim of this project is to unite two very important and diverse parts of this place in such a sutil way that it’s almost unperceptible. The new and modern San Angel, surrounded by the city; and the traditional San Angel filled with stone labrynths and green enclosures. The plot is located in the boundary between the modern and the traditional, between the stonepaved streets, yet close enough to the immense peripheric. The shape of the plot is quite particular as well. It is a triangle-like plot (most likely the left over
Aerial view of the emplacement
The plot is located between two streets in different levels
space of the division of plots for the construction of houses). It shares a boundary with other residential constructions, and it is between two streets which are in different levels; this because of the topography of the place whicha causes the plot to have a very steep slope.
Entrance floor
Due to the restrains of the plot, it is a small house that opens itself to the light. It has the perfect size for a single young person or a young couple. Conviniently located close to important arteries of the city as well as a vibrant nightlife, but still, far enough to enjoy serenity and silence when wanted. The architecture of this house merges the heaviness of the volcanic rock, which is found in numerous quantities in this area, with the lightness and modernity of steel, aluminum and glass. This combination of materials gives the house a unique character and discourse towards the outside. At the same time it tells a story of past and present attaching itself to the history of the place, but also shows the willingness of moving forward.
1st floor
2nd floor
View from NW
Street view of the house
Centenario
Location: Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico Year: 2006 (6th semester)
icw: Gabriela Larrea & Stefanie Pages
APPARTMENTS, MOVIES & COFFEE After Coyoacán was absorbed by Mexico City it became a semi-popular place for middlehigh and high classes due to its tranquility and because it still kept the colonial flavour not only in its buildings, but also in its businesses, transport, costumes and people. It had elegant restaurants, cantinas (bars), a movie cinema, and cafés among other places. Later on, it began getting frequented by families of all social levels, mainly on weekends. There they found street shows, restaurants, parks, and museums where they could spend the day. Artists began to frequent it on weekends to exhibit their works and sell them to the ones interested. All this made Coyoacán become a touristic place. Later on, alternative groups of people like bohemians, hippies, street musicians, philosophers, backpackers, punks, etc. who were in search of relaxed and non-mainstream social places to gather. The increasing number of bars, pubs and street markets, among other changes, attracted the mainstream pop society of Mexico City to Coyoacán. The once peaceful streets suddenly became crowded with groups of teenagers and young adults looking for places to drink beer or coffee, or just to wander around in the markets. Coyoacán became a common destination for many people all around the city looking for fun during the weekend. However, this unusual quantity of people has caused traffic and parking problems, pollution in the streets, presence of more drunk and homeless people, and an uncontrolled growth of informal commerce spread over the squares and streets. These conflicts have caused some areas in Coyoacán to crumble. However, the cultural and artistic mood of Coyoacán is still present and still is one of the preferred touristic places in the city.
Aerial view of emplacement
Floor plans
The aim of this project is to transform an old cinema building into a new vibrant centre. This new project will combine residential units and a couple of new cinema rooms. At the same time, the first floor will have space for local shops, aiming to have a continuous flow of people through the neighbourhood. The residential part is divided in four floors, each one with three appartments which vary from 80 m2 to 120 m2. It also has a small inner courtyard and a private gym. The intention of this is to attract a different social group to the area in order to have a greater mix of people, from different social structures.
View from NW
The new small cinemas is intended to be run independently from the residential house, but they are built together in order to maximize the available space of the plot.
View from SW
The building in the context
Ambar
Location: Colonia Condesa, Mexico City, Mexico Year: 2003 (competition, 2nd place)
RECYCLING URBAN SPACES What to do with residual spaces in the city? How to bring life back to places where people, sometimes, don’t even dare to go? This competition tries to answer these questions. This project aims to create destinations in nogo places. One of these attractions is AMBAR. It is conveniently located inside one of the most active nightlife neighbourghoods of the city. It floats between the two bridges that make this overpass, claiming a lot of attention, making itself present in the city. At the same time, it does not interrupt the flow of traffic under it. The simple shape of this intervention as well as the colour make it recognizable for everybody and so it becomes a new landmark in the neighbourhood, the flow of people that will come to this place will increase the sense of security hence making this a safer area to walk through.
Aerial view
It plays as well with the city, for it changes the landscape and surprises the drivers as much as it surprises the pedestrians.
The building appears between the bridges
As it floats in between the bridges, it allows for free circulation underneath
The Nest
Location: Tikal, Guatemala Year: 2011 (competition)
IN BETWEEN TREETOPS, OVER TIKAL Like a bird’s nest, this shelter finds a place hanging among trees and surprises the visitor with its magnitude. The nest in the park of Tikal offers a hospitable and safe shelter to spend the night & experience the jungle from a new perspective: the natural habitat.
View of the hostal in the context
The nest retreats itself from the path of the archaeological site, having a different lecture than that already established by the Mayas. Opposed to the heaviness and permanence of the ruins, the nests ethereal characteristics create different discourses enhancing, in this way, the user experience. It is elevated and detached from the ground giving complete flexibility to its location. A spiral ramp unfolds from the inside of the Nest and reaches down to the ground. The spiral wraps itself around the atrium whilst articulating the whole Nest. Movement is continuous around the atrium, which allows more flexibility to arrange the program according to specific needs.
Interior view
The public functions; the museum and the cafeteria, are located at the bottom and top of the Nest. The private areas of the hostel are found in the mid section. The skin meets several functions. It reinforces the structure, giving it stability. It also acts as a barrier, protecting the user form the elements of the jungle. Whilst being inside of the nest, the jungle can still be perceived, both visually and acoustically.
Section of the geometry with the ramp