Collaborators: J. Graham Hargis

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This proposal envisions a low-income, mixed-use housing development that honors the city's architectural past while introducing dynamic, flexible spaces that frame and elevate the surrounding urban context for its residents. A series of open spaces woven throughout the project fosters a strong sense of community, inviting encounters, and shared activity. These interconnected zones gently blur the boundary between interior and exterior, creating a living environment and providing refuge in an otherwise hectic city. This project was completed as a team of two undergraduate architecture students. My partner and I collaborated on the initial design, and I contributed all of the final drawings besides the section perspective.

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The site presented a compelling juxtaposition of historic and contemporary architecture. A historic building at the corner of the site, Puebla 135, along with a preserved historic facade along the southern edge, contrasts sharply with the modern office building and hospital bordering the West and North edges of the site. The project's massing responds to this dramatic shift in scale, mediating between old and new to create a cohesive streetscape. Along the Southern edge, the building steps back from the historic facade below, allowing it to remain prominent from the pedestrian perspective. Above, a strategically placed shade garden provides a quiet retreat for residents while reinforcing a respectful dialogue with the site's historical context.