CRB Arquitectos : The Tonalá 15 project, located in the Roma neighborhood, in Mexico City, arises from the need to adapt to a triangular plot located at the intersection of Insurgentes, the longest avenue in Mexico City, and Tonalá Street. The inspiration comes from the idea of creating an element that stands out for its simplicity and materiality while being integrated with the urban context.
The project actively seeks the revitalization of the urban area, aiming to generate a positive impact both on the local economy and on the quality of life of the community's inhabitants. This approach not only emphasizes the aesthetic and functional importance of architectural design but also underscores its crucial role in creating environments that promote social connection, contributing to the sustainable development of urban areas and increasing the area's value.
The design takes advantage of the building's concrete structure to create a clean and simple grid on the facades facing the avenues, with floor-to-ceiling windows and tilting the columns on the ground floor towards the interior of the building, creating a gesture of openness towards the street. This achieves a sober element that stands out for its architectural details and form, as well as total transparency towards the interior.
Furthermore, the project solves the layout on a very small plot, with a shape as complex as a triangle, managing to fit 4 apartments between 50 m2 and 54 m2 per floor in such a small area. The main concepts that govern the design are adaptation to the environment, simplicity, and functionality. The building proposes a mixed-use of housing, which includes short-term housing, medium-term stays, and permanent housing. This generates richness in the interaction of users in the project due to the variety of uses.
The architecture of the project aims primarily to improve the quality of life of the user, creating an environment where people want to be, promoting interaction between inhabitants and their surroundings. Likewise, it is distinguished by its accessible design that guarantees usability for users of all abilities, promoting the well-being of the people who inhabit it.
On the ground floor, at the tip of the building, a plaza is created that functions as a public space, generating a significant social impact, a concession to the city, complying with the percentage of open area stipulated by regulations, managing to concentrate and make the most of the remaining space for the building's floor plan. The development of the project encompasses three modules, which are connected by two vertical circulation cores. On the ground floor, entry to the building is through the central module, where the lobby and a sitting area are located. Additionally, two commercial spaces that face the main street are incorporated.
The first two modules consist of one apartment per floor, while the last one is divided to accommodate two residences. This distribution was created by taking advantage of the facade, with the purpose of providing views from each of the dwellings towards the two streets surrounding the project, as well as improving the accessibility of the building.
On the top level, space is allocated for a common laundry area and two terrace areas that offer panoramic views of the city. The common spaces were strategically designed to promote interaction among inhabitants, creating a route that begins in the public plaza, entering through the access on the side of the second module towards the lobby and then through the panoramic elevators and stairs, reaching the terraces, ending in the roof garden. In the basement, only bicycle parking is provided, aiming to discourage car use, promoting public transportation and green mobility with zero emissions. The lobby has a sober and elegant atmosphere, designed to welcome the user. In the apartments, a warmer and more welcoming environment is created.
The experience in the vertical circulations, both of the panoramic elevators and the stairs, is practical and with views of the street, minimizing the distance from the entrance to the door of each apartment, helping to optimize the habitable surface. The stairs have a ribbed pigmented concrete texture on the ground floor and a black steel structure, which becomes a sculptural element on the following floors and generates floating landings visible on both sides of the building. Additionally, it provides natural and cross ventilation within the building.
In terms of construction, the low soil resistance on the site forced the creation of a very deep foundation, a logistical challenge due to the maneuvers required on such a small plot, as well as extensive research by the engineering team. The result is a structure consisting of foundation piles at a depth of 40 m; a casting system based on prefabricated formwork, reducing the footprint on the ground and streamlining construction processes, followed by a seismic isolation system brand FIP supporting a reinforcement based on concrete columns with reticular slabs. Thanks to this, the project was completed in just 18 months, despite the complexity of the foundation. In the selection of materials, those in their natural state were chosen, which age together with the building and allow for adaptation to the environment over time. The integration of the building into the urban context makes it stand out for its details and simplicity rather than its scale.
The entire structure of the building is constructed using pigmented exposed concrete in an earthy tone, which gives it the ability to age, allowing the project to gain more character over time. This material is also used for its malleability to shape all the curves of the project, demonstrating its versatility and ability to adapt to the demands of architectural design. For finishes, granite and recinto stone are chosen for public areas, while New Navona marble is used in private spaces. Interior walls are plastered with paint and wood paneling, and in the apartments, the bathrooms are clad in the same marble, providing homogeneity through a short and consistent material palette.
For the interior design of short and medium-stay apartments, collaboration was done with M:A studio, to place furniture and decorations that interact with the natural and warm finishes of the tower. The combination of beige textures and colors stands out through details of textiles in chairs and lighting, wicker basketry, and domestic wood; the Mexican essence, a welcoming card for foreigners looking to stay in the heart of the Roma neighborhood.
The black, elegant, and slim carpentry consists of a system with double glazing for thermal and acoustic insulation towards the interior of the building (Cortizo / Venster). The building also has a rainwater harvesting system for an alternative hydraulic system, betting on sustainability in the project. Likewise, as a passive strategy, a "vertical oasis" was created thanks to the public plaza, planters on different floors, and the roof garden, contributing to the generation of clean air for the city.
Landscaping is very important in all the firm's projects, hence this accompaniment on all levels of the building, so that there is no space in the ensemble without vegetation. The firm is distinguished by the constant rhythm and symmetry in its projects. It seeks sober designs that result from a harmonious integration between interior and exterior, structure and facade, grids and recesses, and play of openings.
CRB Architects always seek to integrate architecture with landscaping; this is a hallmark of the firm. The building is recognizable in the area, a landmark that integrates with the city, elevating urban aesthetics. The most rewarding thing for CBR architects is to visit it and see the variety of different users coexisting harmoniously within it, creating community.
