Growth and genius

ER: Over the past 15 years, Mexico has experienced fast growth. Many companies have recognised Mexico as a land of opportunity, leading to the development of numerous big cities. When these companies establish themselves, as we've seen in Queretaro, there's a noticeable surge in various sectors such as services, housing, and hospitality. While we often draw inspiration from the United States due to our close relationship, one aspect I particularly appreciate is the influx of these companies. 

MT: As an architect, I find the favourable weather in most Mexican cities quite appealing for us and foreigners. That's advantageous because the building process is straightforward. It's mainly about keeping the weather out, which is relatively easy. Additionally, construction labour isn't very costly here compared to other parts of the globe, such as the United States. There's a lot of room for experimentation. The people working in construction are exceptionally creative. We often undervaluate them, but they're like geniuses. They can achieve a lot with limited resources, and we, architect, benefit from their skills. There's much to learn from them. Sometimes, we even get new ideas from observing how they work. This is something unique to Mexico. Unlike other countries, we can learn a lot from the informal construction field, where many workers are employed and experiment with local materials and techniques.

ER: As Mariana mentioned, the climate conditions are important because the weather, at least here in Queretaro, is favourable. However, looking at the bigger picture, the weather influences how we build and respond to specific climate conditions. We have the beach, with coasts in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, the desert, mainly in the northern part of Mexico and Baja California, the jungle, and Mexico City, one of the biggest metropolises in the world. Sometimes, within the same city, we could have a project in the mountains and another on the beach. This exposes us to different climates and environments, which sparks creativity and greatly benefits our work.

MT: Mexico is blessed with abundant natural resources. However, this abundance sometimes leads to neglect, as we have plenty of space, water, and other resources. We might use them excessively at times. Additionally, I've noticed that the more houses we build, the more people come. Mexico has a large population, so this rapid growth is evident. Yet, seeing how these new houses attract more residents is interesting. It's hard to predict when this trend will plateau, but it's not a pressing issue for now. However, it might become one in the future.

Beyond rapid expansion

ER: We're both originally from Morelia, and about 20 years ago, I started visiting Querétaro. Over the past 20 years, Querétaro has experienced exponential growth driven by various factors. One significant factor is its proximity to Mexico City. Its location is excellent because, in terms of distance, it's similar to Morelia's distance to Mexico City and Guadalajara. Therefore, it's the largest city along that route and the closest to Mexico City. So, undoubtedly, the location and the industry play significant roles. When people from Mexico City want to escape the hustle and bustle, Querétaro is often their first choice because it's conveniently close. Querétaro has made a strong bet on the aerospace and automotive manufacturing industries, attracting big companies and boosting its economy.

The growth is happening very quickly, maybe too quickly. Of course, there are consequences and downsides, so we must proceed cautiously. When we look around, we see many houses built by large developers. It seems they're more focused on numbers than creating homes for families. This is concerning. Mariana and I often discuss this issue. We're passionate about contributing positively, so around 90% of our projects involve designing houses. We work on all sorts of homes, regardless of budget, with the aim of enhancing the quality of living. We want to be part of the solution to the rapid growth, shifting the focus from mere numbers to creating better living spaces. However, we must tread carefully. There could be serious problems in the future, especially regarding water scarcity and environmental issues. We need to think ahead and consider the long-term implications of our actions. Our goal is to contribute to the positive aspects of development rather than simply building for the sake of it.

MT: Querétaro presents many challenges at the moment that foster us thinking about how architecture could contribute in some positive way. There are too many cars, meaning that the city is getting more polluted and crowded. People are forced to be dependent on cars. The lack of a vision for the city's future is also clear: The is no such thing as urban planning: while the downtown area is well-designed, you need to drive to reach other parts like satellite towns. This layout isn't ideal, and I'm unsure why it turned out this way. 

ER: And I believe water scarcity will soon become a problem. Sometimes, even the electricity supply is unreliable. It might go out for a few minutes. This hasn't been a problem for us before, but we've experienced it since moving here. It makes me wonder if the city's infrastructure is struggling to cope with the growing demands and increasing population. We should consider how architecture could contribute to these upcoming issues.

Crafting success

ER: During my final years of studying, I joined one of the largest architecture firms in Morelia. This experience was incredibly valuable. I learned a great deal about architecture and gained insight into how to manage an office successfully. The head of the office was particularly skilled in this aspect, which I believe contributed to his success. I was always ambitious to establish my practice one day, so I knew I needed to learn as much as possible. Despite not having any major projects immediately after graduating, I wanted to seek more. That's when I decided to move to Mexico City. There, I worked in a studio that was involved in launching a project by Zaha Hadid in Mexico. This experience exposed me to a lot of high-quality design work. The architect leading the project studied in London and strongly focused on design. However, I felt some of his ideas were not entirely suited to the Mexican context. I decided to pursue a master's degree in construction and sought a job at an architectural firm in Mexico City that had built extensively in the area. This experience was invaluable. When I decided to start my venture, I met Mariana at university, where we were both studying the same subject. As I returned to Morelia to begin my architectural projects, I received an assignment to renovate a lobby in an apartment tower. I invited Mariana to join me in this project. We named our collaboration TORU Architects, combining our surnames, Torres and Ruiz. This project marked our first collaboration, giving us the confidence to believe our partnership could succeed. We hadn't planned to work together initially, but circumstances led us to do so. Around the same time, an opportunity arose to work on a project in Querétaro, when I discovered the city. Querétaro seemed to offer the ideal blend of what I admired in Mexico City and Morelia. Convinced by the city's potential, I persuaded Mariana to join me in Querétaro, where we could establish our architectural practice.

ER: For us, progress has been somewhat gradual. While we aspired to grow quickly, we understand the importance of patience and passion. We actively seek out projects rather than waiting for them to come to us, constantly searching for new opportunities. This proactive approach has been key to our development. We have a passion for designing houses, which we enjoy the most. However, creating houses involves a lot of attention to detail, which can take time. It’s a constant learning process. We believe in taking our time to design and build properly rather than rushing and compromising on quality. This dedication to detail may slow us down slightly, but we believe it's worth it for the excellent results we achieve. Additionally, we've found that our ideal clients are often investors rather than individuals looking to build their own homes. Investors are more likely to build multiple houses, which allows us to continue working on exciting projects.

MT: And one important thing we've noticed is that we have more control over our ideas in these kinds of projects. We have the final say on how to proceed. When it comes to someone's home, we allow them to make the decisions since they'll live there. However, it's often easier with investors as they trust our expertise and give us the freedom to design the house. We appreciate this trust and enjoy the creative freedom it allows us.

ER: We've noticed an influx of people from places like Mexico City interested in investing in Querétaro. It's fascinating to see how the city's growth is attracting attention from beyond its borders.

Daring to differ

MT: So far, we've completed a total of about 10 projects. Of these 10, 7 were for investors, and 3 were for private clients. One of the smallest ones is Casa W, which is around 175 square meters in Morelia, while Casa Cantera is the biggest one, with about 380 square meters. We are now working on a new house of about 150 square meters. Calle Casa 49 is our first project: it consists of two houses within the same project, with one being the mirror image of the other. We have a special fondness for this project as it was our first. However, we played it safe with the design as it was intended for sale and didn't want to take too many risks.

ER: Perhaps one where we decided to experiment without doing anything entirely new, as we weren't aiming for uniqueness, but when it comes to experimenting, Casa San Martin was crucial for us. Living in a place for a while can make you see things as normal when they might not be. When designing, many people advised us against trying new things, fearing they wouldn't be well-received. Casa San Martin served as a confirmation for us to express our ideas freely. Some people found it unusual, questioning, for instance, why we left the concrete walls unfinished. It made us reflect on our choices and whether we were on the right path. Despite being an investment project, our client loved it, appreciating its uniqueness. Querétaro has many talented architects and stunning houses, but many follow a similar design pattern. Casa San Martin stood out, showing that being more experimental can add value to a house. Its recognition, especially by experts and publications, reassured us that we're on the right track by staying true to our beliefs and being willing to experiment. 

We've discovered that when we have the opportunity to explore, the results tend to be better. However, it's not always as straightforward as it seems. Sometimes, many voices from outside tell you it's not the right thing to do. But Casa San Martin helped us to believe in ourselves and our approach. It was a significant milestone for us.

Sketches to structures

MT: I found our design approach to be a straightforward process. We begin by interviewing clients to understand their daily routines, requirements, and budget. Knowing the budget from the outset is crucial. After that, we have several meetings with the clients to present and discuss the project. Even though it seems quite simple, we believe it is crucial to spend time and understand the needs of our clients; working closely with them is important.

ER: In the interviews with a client, it's always Mariana and me, and we might hear or interpret things differently. So, we each create our project proposal. It's like a friendly competition, as our interpretations may differ. When we have both my and her projects, we compare them and take the best aspects from each.

MT: That is very important in our process. Sometimes, we'll decide that he is better, and we'll choose to show his project. Sometimes, we combine our ideas. It depends. In our case, we handle everything, including the construction, since that is where you can witness the overall process. The process is everything. That helps ensure the project turns out well. But sometimes, it might lose some of its quality during construction if the constructor doesn't execute it properly. We ensure that everything follows your plans, but we're also open to making changes during the process. You might have ideas as you create the drawings, but you can make decisions like raising or lowering something when you're on-site.

Unexpected success

MT: Casa BRT is a project in Morelia. There is an interesting anecdote about that house. Initially, it was for a client who wanted a new house. He had land big enough for a large house, though he didn't need that much space as it was just him and his wife since their kids had left. He was one of those clients who gave us a lot of freedom, saying, "I trust you, you do the house". It was a great project because of that freedom. Interestingly, many people passing by would ask if the house was for sale. We'd tell them it wasn't, but the client started considering it when we mentioned it. So, we set a price a bit higher than the actual cost of the house. He was pleased because he hadn't considered selling it before, but he made some money from it. We built a house we liked, and this anecdote became well-known, attracting potential investors who said, "When you need investors, count me in." So the houses sold quickly.

ER: Also, we began in January 2020, just as the pandemic started. Our third house was built, and during this project, we decided to take more risks and express ourselves fully. Despite the challenges, it turned out to be a success. Over these five years, we've learned much about what we want and how we work best together. We've realised that staying true to our thinking and doing things leads to the best outcomes.

Right-sized rooms

MT: We like to use the concept of “useful space”. It is a simple concept but representative of the way we think. Sometimes, a large room isn't necessarily better; it can be as problematic as a small one. So we spend much time designing the house to get the right space. It's not just about size but also about how the room feels, the placement of windows, the ceiling height, and the amount of light. All of these factors contribute to making the space truly useful. 

ER: I agree with that. Simplicity and consistency have been key for us since the beginning. We focus heavily on the layout of spaces, the choice of materials, and maintaining a common-sense approach. We avoid doing anything too extravagant or unnecessary. It's about being consistent with every aspect of the design. Some suggest that building smaller houses quickly without focusing too much on details is better for making more money. However, that approach doesn't resonate with us.