SIERRA SANTA ROSA…
GREEN FAÇADE

Client… Private
Location… Reforma Social, México DF
Area… 115 m² / 1,238 sq ft
Date… 2009
Author… Adriana Monroy  
Staff… Javier Salinas

Sierra Santa Rosa project sets out to change the aspect of the exterior façade of a residential house as well as its main access so as to create a sustainable, pleasing, harmonic and revitalizing atmosphere in the area where it is located.
The project proposes to enhance the façade and make it attractive and interactive with its environment through a green plane made of vegetation. Gray quarry, steel sheets and aluminum are combined to give support to the vegetation, the essential element in this proposal. The new aspect of Santa Rosa House emphasizes and separates the access through elements that cover the basic functions of its use.
The walking accesses to the house are highlighted by rectangular frames made of steel. The frames mark the path from the street access all the way to the house entrance. The path is covered with vegetation. A gardening box runs all along the pathway hold by five metallic beams that resemble trees. Several steel cables cross over so that the vegetation may grow upwards over them forming a roof that covers the pathway from the sun and rain in a natural way.
Last, and as a main visual ending there is a green wall over the existing façade of the house, representing a basic element of bio-climate architecture, which will function as a thermal and noise insulator. The green wall is secured through a metal sheet attached to the floor and to the existing façade all the way up to the roof. All perforations to the façade are centered in metallic frames similar to those of the access.