EL HUACAL…
RESIDENTIAL ANNEX

Client… Private
Location… Coyoacán, México DF
Area… 96 m² / 1,033 sq ft
Date… 2006 / 2007
Author… Adriana Monroy / Paul Cremoux

El Huacal represents an effort to use existing conditions in pursue of better indoor and outdoor quality living spaces. It is the result of a demolition and rebuilt project inside an irregular urban lot. The previous construction lacked good ventilation and illumination. Service spaces were placed at the front; the staircase and the bathroom blocked the outside view creating a sombre and humid atmosphere withdrawn from the rest of the house.
We inverted the architectural plan: two rooms, a complete bathroom enabling interior lighting, a bridge connecting the main bedroom and a new terrace are the result of our new design.
Garden area was gained and a direct relation between the living area and the renewed section as well as between the garden and the main bedroom was created. At the end, the strategy of the house with a patio or garden is shown through the diverse spaces which are articulated and lead to a common green area and panoramic vista.
Built with recycled material of high quality and duration, El Huacal is in itself a piece that works as a hinge among the diverse spaces that were once dissociated.
“El Huacal” is actually the name to describe a wooden basket use typically to transport fruit and vegetables at the Mexican markets.