Elemental Monterrey, project analysis

affordable housing project

Las Anacuas Monterrey, in Mexico

by Elemental Alejandro Aravena análisis by Marco Campa

Project Name: Monterrey Housing Mexico Project Type: -Urban planning design strategy -Architecture Project Mission/Goal: -Improve the human spirit -Respond to our growing need for clean water, power, shelter, healthcare, education

Project Details: Location: Santa Catarina (Monterrey), Nuevo Leon, Mexico Concept/Lead Architect(s)/Designer(s): Alejandro Aravena / ELEMENTAL Project Architect(s): Alejandro Aravena Year (s): 2008 to 2010 Client: Instituto de la vivienda de Nuevo León (IVNL) User Client: Low-income households (affordable housing) Number of beneficiaries/users: 70 households (70 housing units) Project Phase: completed 2010 Cost/Cost per unit: US$ 20,000 Area: -Land area: 6.591m² -Initial house: 40m² -Final house: 76.6m² -Initial duplex: 40m² -Expanded duplex: 76.6m²

Monterrey, is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo Le贸n in the country of Mexico

It is the second wealthiest city in Mexico and the ninth in Latin America. Monterrey is considered a Beta World City, cosmopolitan and competitive.

Monterrey belongs to the natural region of indigenous people called “Tarahumara�

Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability.

Tarahumara Woman, Maria Salome, wins a 100 km ultramarathon wearing a dress and sandals.

(R) vernacular architecture

Modern Monterrey is recognized for its major industrial production.

Rich in history and culture, Monterrey is often regarded as the most "americanized" and developed city in the entire country

‌.yet a big city with big problems

a modern growing city with geographical limits

urban edge

poverty and middle class is pushed to the edge

an a clear social segregation

“Low rise, dense enough complexes, that allow to pay for expensive well located land” Alejandro Aravena, Elemental

In the Mexican housing market, the cheapest solution that is offered is about $30,000 dollars. So the poor are not being reached. Elemental has developed an improved version of Iquique where houses underneath and duplex apartments on top have an initial cost of $20,000 dollars.

In order to achieve a middle-income standard of seventytwo square meters after self-built expansions. The efficiency in land use without overcrowding, allowed to purchase land in a neighborhood where the average cost is $50,000 dollars. This have benefit the families from that value gain.

The proximity to the urban fabric expresses close availability of services and opportunities, making the families more available to improve their life conditions.

The precedents

Quinta Monroy, Iquique, Chile. Photographer Cristobal Palma

Prototype House, Milan Triennale Garden, Italy

“I really appreciate having been trained in an environment of scarcity. Somehow it’s a very efficient filter against what’s not strictly necessary. There’s not enough money, not enough time, to answer with tools that are not exactly the ones you need for that question.” Alejandro Aravena

The response

The unit component Family level

Originally called 'Las Anacuas’, Elemental Monterrey provides 70 homes by building the basic house including bathrooms kitchens and stairs but leaving voids that allow residents to adapt and expand each property themselves.

The building contains a continuous roof covers the structures and voids between them.

The buildings are arranged in a rectangle around a shared garden, with a two-story apartment above each ground-floor house.

The building component community level

This housing complex in Mexico by Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena of Elemental is the winner of the architecture award in the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year Awards

ELEMENTAL’s social housing design for Mexican citizens, provides residents with the opportunity to construct part of the home themselves. By only building half the house residents, when time, effort and resources permit, personalize the home reflecting the needs and wishes of each individual family.

where families can grow

Family 1

expansion

Family 2

Family 4 expansion

Family 3

expansion

Family 5

expansion

Family 3

expansion

Family 4

Family 5

3

4

expansion

3

1

2

5

The building component

neighborhood community unit

family dwelling unit

interaction expansion

family spacecommunity space

addition through time

ownership

and belonging

The urban component