Blending past and present

EH: We can discuss economic, political, and numerous other factors, but in my case, one primary factor driving Mexican architects is the realisation of our strong history, background, and culture, which form a significant part of our identity. The leading studios, though not emerging or representing a new generation, include Alberto Kalach, Gabriela Carrillo, Rozana Montiel, Estudio Macías Peredo, Taller Hector Barroso, and Manuel Cervantes. Over the past two decades, these architects have been fostering a distinctive identity in architecture. There is an echo of their research in our generation, prompting us to pursue an architecture that acknowledges its roots. Mexico has a rich history and culture that many other countries do not. The influence of the Mayans, Spanish colonisation, the United States, and South America has created a natural blend of cultures. Consequently, we recognise that our architectural heritage is a fusion of various historical influences.

SM: As Esteban was saying, I personally see it as a tree. The longer you look back, the more you can learn because only the good parts remain. Our practice looks at these traditions with respect. The Mayans and pre-Hispanic architecture provide many excellent examples of ruins in our region that we can still visit and study. The first architect who truly appreciated and brought attention to this Mexican culture was Luis Barragán. We can identify a first-generation and then a second-generation of architects like those Esteban mentioned. Now, we belong to a third generation of Mexican architects who certainly ask questions but also learn from the past. We look back to move forward, using historical references to guide us. Our context, especially economic and political, is very different, providing opportunities for more public projects, collaborations with developers, and larger-scale projects. Despite this, we view these earlier architects with great respect, strive to learn from them, and aim to add a new twist and see what we can improve.

EH: It is very interesting because these architects are a reference, like capitanes or heroes, when you are studying. Of course, you want to step aside and create your own path. I cannot speak for all of the Mexican emerging practices, but in our case, we initially aimed for continuation when we started our practice five years ago. As we grew, we realised we had a different scenario around us and took advantage of what we could do. 

Navigating Mérida's urban legacy

EH: At Esencial Studio, we know we have the opportunity to engage in real estate development with the perspective of architects who care about being part of a city and contributing to our environment. We feel very motivated by the history of our city, Mérida. To understand Mérida now, we must look at how it has been over the last few decades. Mérida is a conservative society, often described as a “very big little town”. Like in many other small cities, when someone finds a successful recipe, everyone copies it. This applies to making money, developing an architectural style, or anything else. This can be both good and bad. Mérida is a city rich in culture, history, and values, which shapes its identity. This identity gives us certain rules to play by, and we can choose to follow them or not. Currently, many architects are embracing these values and trying to take advantage of them.

SM: There is something curious a developer once told me: in many cities, young architects, not from our generation but a few years older, are having to fix the mistakes our grandparents made. He suggested, respectfully, that in Mérida, young architects might be making some mistakes. This makes sense when we consider the city's growth pattern, which is circular. Our most valuable asset here is the historic centre, which is one of the biggest and most beautiful in Mexico and Latin America. It is surrounded by neighbourhoods with strong identities. They have parks, churches, markets, and slightly wider streets. These streets are not as narrow because economics were not the main factor in their design, unlike narrower streets, which can increase income percentages. These neighbourhoods, colonias, as we call them in Mexico, include Alemán, where our office is located, or Itzimná. Then, we have the outermost ring of development, consisting of neighbourhoods close to the city’s periphery. The periphery is a large avenue that acts as the city's first hard boundary. These neighbourhoods, such as Francisco de Montejo, feature very small houses tightly packed together with narrow streets. These areas are now fully occupied, but the quality of urban space is not as good as in the first ring.

In the most recent history, development has happened beyond the periphery. There are two types of development: social housing, often of poor quality, with houses tightly packed and each house having only a seven-metre frontage and lacking public spaces. These areas resemble planned communities but have poor planning. Naturally, many houses along the main avenues of these planned communities are turning into businesses. They planned a community of 10,000 houses with no services, public spaces, or amenities. On the other hand, gated communities are also emerging beyond the periphery. These are attractive but not integrated with the city, fraccionamientos. To enter, you need to show an ID, creating a separation from the rest of the city. As a studio and as architects, we are trying to reintegrate the community into the city. Of course, the historic centre is now back in fashion, and there are many efforts to regain the community there. This is just my perspective, but we are trying to look back and learn from it. Even in these newer neighbourhoods, we always try to build within the periphery because Mérida still has much to offer.

Merging tradition with innovation

SM: As emerging studios, we are, in a way, “killing our fathers”. The older generation followed a well-defined style of Yucatán architecture, and emerging studios are trying to redefine this, using more local materials and creating an architecture that fits Mérida better.

EH: We are trying to look further into our past and respond smartly and authentically to our context. We are clearly seeking different answers. As Sebastián said, sometimes we use deconstructive systems and different materials. We are exploring various ways of resolving the facade of our buildings. Some architects have their own distinct language. If you look at Chipperfield, Herzog & De Meuron, or SANAA, they have a clear focus on the building's facade. The building's skin varies depending on the geography. In Mérida, we have a beautiful landscape, a unique climate, and specific conditions of sun, temperature, and humidity. We must use materials that address these challenges. This is how we are trying to create a dialogue in our architecture.

SM: With the previous generation of architects, we share various materials, including pastas (a type of wall refurbishment). We continue to use concrete blocks with a void inside, which aids in temperature control. We also see trends in high-end concrete, chukum, and high-end blocks without a finish. Many of these materials are in use. White paint, popularised by Augusto Quijano, a well-known architect here in Merida, remains in favour. While we are not attempting to follow the same path as the older generation, there is a great deal of mutual respect that helps us progress.

EH: We started to work as a practice during our career. We were studying, managing our own projects, and working in the mornings for another office. Consequently, we had no personal life. You learn to find a way of doing things. This becomes a lifelong practice. For an emerging studio, it is crucial to have the time to stop, think, and mature. Rapid growth can cause one to overlook important aspects. In school, there is time to think and the opportunity to fail. However, if you fail early and have more work to do, you lack the time to learn from those mistakes. The most important thing in life is to always be aware of what you are doing, who you are, and what is happening around you. It’s what we call consciencia constante, which means constant consciousness. The worst thing you can do, as a person and as an architect, is to be unaware of your surroundings, what is happening, why you are doing what you are doing, what you are thinking, and what you are designing. 

In summary, it is crucial to understand and be conscious of what is happening in the studio. We are aware that we make many mistakes. A good final product depends on various factors: the first conversation with the client, the process in between, how you manage the office, how the team develops, how it functions, how you handle finances, and how you maintain your mental well-being to handle personal issues effectively. All these elements are vital in the entire process.

Pause, learn, build

SM: The first project we completed in the last ten years had a significant effect on the development of the office. Our experience with that initial project shaped the way we evolved and grew professionally. In fact, the biggest decision we made as an office, as partners, was to go away for a year to study for our master's degrees. When we started, we were flooded with many opportunities, both good and challenging. For example, we received a commission to design an apartment building at a very young age. This led to more opportunities, such as designing houses and developing residential projects, which were quite significant for such young architects. Despite these opportunities, we decided to take a year off to study. This decision was very clear to us, but it was difficult both personally and for the business. We decided to close the office for a year: I went to the Architectural Association (AA) in London to study Housing and Urbanism, while Esteban studied Advanced Architecture and Urbanism in ETSAB (Barcelona). That was back in 2017. We returned in 2018 to reopen the office, bringing with us new, fresh ideas. As Esteban mentioned, it demonstrates our commitment to always being aware. If you're not, you might make decisions impulsively without considering the consequences. So, we always try to pause and assess where we stand. I believe that's why some of our architectural predecessors here in Merida, such as Augusto Quijano, Javier Muñoz Menendez, and Jorge Carlos Zoreda, are still influential. They are in the position they are because, even at around 60 years old, they remain aware of their surroundings and what's happening. That's why they're still relevant. Those who aren't mindful and just go through the motions are often forgotten.

From quantity to quality

EH: I believe we're currently encountering a significant issue. Upon completing our master's degree at the age of 24, we've spent approximately four years engrossed in various pursuits such as career advancement, business growth, and financial gain. As we pause to witness our architectural projects taking shape, we find ourselves grappling with a dilemma. We're questioning the value of our work and whether it truly contributes meaningfully to architecture. Despite acknowledging our youth, we refuse to use it as an excuse for anything less than our best efforts.

Because of the volume of work we have, we don't always have the time to consider every detail, although we would like to. Currently, we have 16 employees, but we aim to have fewer and not lose control of the quality. We're also looking to take on fewer projects. In the initial stage of our career, we accepted every project that came our way, but now we're in the process of figuring out what direction to take and what kind of office we want to become. We have some ideas, but it's not fully formed yet. It’s part of the process. For instance, I've mentioned that we'd like each project to be unique. Many architects, like Toyo Ito, reinvent themselves with each project. We aspire to do the same. We need to focus on what we believe might be relevant and refine certain elements while modifying others. That's the approach we're currently pursuing. It's very challenging.

Consider this example: let's say we're working on an apartment building. Our perspective can feel limited because our client is often a developer. Therefore, we must closely align with their requirements. This means the design process may not be as articulated as we'd like. We also can't overlook the financial aspects of the project. We often find ourselves constrained by the need to meet specific apartment quotas. This leaves insufficient time for our team to develop a robust process or structure. We lack the opportunity to thoroughly study the city, the site, and the transitional spaces between buildings. Due to our tight schedules and strict plans, we struggle to dedicate adequate time to conceptualisation and spatial design. This includes considerations such as spatial configuration, voids, lighting, and other elements crucial to creating a cohesive building.

SM: It's also important for us to effectively communicate our approach and the type of clients we aim to attract. Rather than passively waiting for ideal clients with unlimited budgets and no unusual demands, we actively engage with our audience through platforms like Instagram, our publications, and interviews. We aim to convey that our studio prioritises the artistic, cultural, and urban aspects of design. While we are open to collaborating with developers, we prefer to be involved from the project's early stages. We believe in having meaningful discussions with clients rather than simply receiving a brief detailing specifications like "95 apartments, each 65 square meters, on a 2,000 square meter plot", which, incidentally, is a real scenario. By engaging with clients early on, we can demonstrate the value of our approach, which ultimately translates into economic value through the creation of exceptional projects. This selective approach ensures that we work on projects that align with our ethos.

Crafting connections through architecture

SM: Manté is a representative projects developed by our studio. It is a small-scale, mixed-use apartment building. Before delving into the design details, we made two concrete decisions. This aspect intertwines our roles as architects and developers. Instead of constructing a ten-story tower, we opted for a building that harmonises with the neighbourhood. It stands at five floors and comprises only 12 units, blending seamlessly into its surroundings. Additionally, we included two commercial units, one of which houses a restaurant. This addition offers nearby residents and other buildings a pleasant place to dine and socialise. Certainly, it's just a small change, but I believe it has made the neighbourhood more pedestrian-friendly. Now, people have a destination to walk to. In the mornings, many residents who aren't working gather at the building, grab a coffee, perhaps buy something, and then stroll back home, all within walking distance. This shift has begun to transform the immediate surroundings, making them more vibrant. Regarding the building's exterior, the sun remains constant, so it's essential to shield the structures from its rays. Each housing unit features a balcony with a sunshade, providing protection, particularly during the intense sunset hours. 

Playa Viva functions as a beach club with two apartments above. It represents an advancement from a standard apartment building because, here, the building's skin serves as part of its structure. We have these columns designed to shield the building from the sun and wind. They also serve as a filter when entering the building. In this design, the columns form a grid pattern, as seen in the floor plan. They serve a dual purpose: firstly, as a protective skin against the elements, and secondly, as the building's structural support. Essentially, these columns bear the weight of the entire building. 

Balancing reinvention and tradition

SM: As an emerging studio, we feel a responsibility to remain open to various possibilities. At this stage, we're still exploring and defining our areas of specialisation and interests. However, we do notice some recurring themes in our designs. One key focus is how a building integrates with its surroundings, particularly within the city. We understand that a city isn't just an urban plan; it's primarily composed of housing, which influences urbanism. We take this approach to housing seriously. Additionally, in terms of architectural design, we're particularly interested in the exteriors of buildings. This stems from our unique environment, climate, and sunlight in Mérida and Yucatán. We recognise that we can't simply adopt an international style characterised by glass buildings, as the sun here is quite distinct and requires a different architectural response. When we examine pre-Hispanic and traditional architecture, we understand that architecture serves as a refuge, especially in our harsh environment. We focus on manipulating or controlling the building's exterior to adapt to our climate.

Esteban raised an interesting point about whether it's better to constantly reinvent ourselves for each project or establish a consistent design approach. Internally, he tends to favour continuous innovation, while I lean towards focusing more on craftsmanship, consistency, and repetition. However, one thing is certain: we're still young and in the process of discovering our unique design identity or values. We're aware that our careers span decades, not just a few months or years, so we're committed to this journey for the long haul.