This academic project explores the relationship between dwelling, work and food production within the urban context of Xochimilco, Mexico. Inspired by the traditional hacienda, where domestic life and economic activity exist as part of an integrated whole, the proposal reinterprets this historical model for a contemporary extended family living within a dense urban environment.
The project is founded on the idea that architecture can support a more self-sufficient and interconnected way of life. Rather than separating living, working and cultivation into distinct zones, the proposal combines these activities within a single architectural framework. Residents are able to live, work and produce food on site, creating a direct relationship between daily life and the resources required to sustain it.
Agriculture forms a central component of the concept. Areas for crop cultivation and livestock are integrated into the project and supported by a circular system that reuses organic waste, grey water and other by-products to contribute to food production. The harvested produce can be consumed by the inhabitants or sold locally, generating an additional source of income while strengthening the connection between household and community.
Architecturally, the building is conceived as a continuous inhabited landscape. A gently sloping green roof becomes an extension of the productive agricultural environment, providing space for cultivation while visually connecting the architecture to the surrounding landscape. Beneath this elevated surface, the private living spaces are organised around a series of protected outdoor areas that balance openness with privacy.
A wedge-shaped commercial space cuts through the building, creating a transition between the public realm and the domestic environment. This intervention establishes a physical and social connection between the residents and the surrounding neighbourhood, allowing economic activity, community interaction and private life to coexist within a single structure.
Material reuse plays an important role in the proposal. In accordance with principles found in the historical Laws of the Indies, the building is conceived using reclaimed materials sourced from existing structures on the site. Glass façades are screened with reused timber pallets that filter light and views while mediating between public and private space. This layered envelope creates a changing visual relationship between inside and outside, reinforcing the project's broader ambition to blur conventional boundaries between architecture, landscape, work and dwelling.
Although developed as an academic exploration, the project investigates themes that remain highly relevant today: urban resilience, circular resource systems, local food production and the integration of living and working environments. By drawing on both historical precedents and contemporary challenges, the proposal reimagines the urban dwelling as a productive and self-sustaining ecosystem.
location xochimilco, mexico
tutors jacob voorthuis, sjef van hoof
type academic research project
program residential and retail
size 380sqm
recognition published in the architectural magazine dax (2010)
