WATER

THROUGH THE HISTORY, THE LACUSTRINE ENVIRONMENT OF MEXICO BASIN HAS BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED DUE TO THE RAPIDLY INCREASING OF THE POPULATION. THIS IS WHY MEXICO CITY IS ACTUALLY SUFFERING A PARADOXICAL SITUATION.

IN ONE HAND, AN EXCESS OF WATER IN RAIN SEASON CAUSE THAT MANY PARTS OF THE CITY FLOOD RAPIDLY AND CONTINOUSLY. ON THE OTHER HAND, DURING DRY SEASON IMPORTANT AREAS SUFFER LACK OF WATER EVEN FOR DRINKING OR PRIMARY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS URBAN AGRICULTURE. BOTH SITUATIONS REQUIRES SOLUTIONS TO RECOVER THE HYDRIC BALANCE.

AS A RESPONSE FOR THIS PROBLEM WE DECIDED TO JOIN OUR EXPERTISE TO SOLVE ADEQUATELY THIS PROBLEMS. THANKS TO THIS “TALLER HÍDRICO URBANO” (URBAN WATER WORKSHOP) BORNED AS AN INICIATIVE FROM PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS FROM THE ARCHITECTURE FACULTY AT UNAM.

MY UNDERGRADUATE THESIS FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN RETHINK THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WATER AND COMMUNITY THROUGH ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN. I DECIDED TO WORK ON A SMALL TOWN ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF MEXICO CITY, CALLED MIXQUIC.

FIGURE 01. FINAL VIEW FOR URBAN MASTER PLAN MASTER

MIXQUIC IS A TOWN THAT HAS ITS ORIGINS IN PRE-HISPANIC TIMES. SINCE THEN, THE MAJORITY OF ITS POPULATION HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO AGRICULTURE. AN ACTIVITY THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

THE RELEVANCE OF MIXQUIC FOR MEXICO CITY IS KEY FOR ITS SURVIVAL. AS AN EXAMPLE, THIS MUNICIPALITY IS THE FIRST NATIONAL PRODUCER OF LEGUMES THAT ARE SOLD IN MOST OF THE MEXICAN CITY MARKETS AND ONE OF THE FEW PLACES THAT STILL USES THE TRADITIONAL CHINAMPA AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM, THAT IS UNIQUE IN THE WORLD.

THIS SHOWS THAT THE BENEFITS OF ITS PRESERVATION IS NOT ONLY ENVIRONMENTAL BUT ALSO HISTORICAL AND ECONOMICAL.

DUE TO MIXQUIC ARE CONTINUOUSLY SUFFERING PERIODS OF DROUGHT AND MINIMAL WATER SUPPLY. THE CANALS BECOME POLLUTED AND THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR TO IRRIGATE THE FIELDS.

IN ADDITION, THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE CITY AND HOUSING CONSTRUCTIONS ARE REDUCING THE SURFACE OF THE CROP FIELDS AND LOSING THE SOIL’S PROPERTIES, TURNING ITS FERTILE LAND INTO UNPRODUCTIVE LAND.

NOWADAYS THIS TOWN IS AT RISK OF DISAPPEARING WITH ALL HIS TRADITIONAL ACTIVITIES, PRODUCTS AND ALSO HIS FARMERS.

FIGURES 02 TO 05. MIXQUIC NOWADAYS

UNDERSTANDING MIXQUIC AS A KEY IN A WATER-URBAN SYSTEM, INVOLVES ANALYZING ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR NATURAL, URBAN AND SOCIAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT THEIR TERRITORY.

TOPOGRAPHY, NATURAL WATER RUNOFF, LACUSTRINE LANDSCAPES, AGRICULTURAL AREAS AND A CITY IN CONSTANT EXPANSION, ARE ECOSYSTEM ELEMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THREATENED, AS A RESULT OF AN UNPLANNED URBAN GROWTH.

MIXQUIC MASTER PLAN IS BASED ON THREE MAIN AREAS OF LONG-TERM CHANGE. WATER, AGRICULTURE AND URBAN SPACE.

IN EACH ONE OF THEM, THERE ARE THREE CONSTANTLY ACTIONS THAT HAS THE INTENTION TO BE REPLICABLE STRATEGIES. THE FIRST IS TO CONNECT, THE SECOND IS TO CREATE AND FINALLY TO REGENERATE THE AREA, WHERE TO PRESERVE THE ECOSYSTEM IS THE MAIN OBJECTIVE.

THE CREATION OF THIS PROJECT INVITES A REFLECTION ON HOW THE CITY SHOULD BE PLANNED WITH A VISION OF COEXISTENCE BETWEEN THE CITZENS AND ITS NATURAL SYSTEMS.