2024
MCHAP
Casa de Cultura y el Jardín de Niños Tlatenchi
Taller CD
Tlatenchi, Morelos, Mexico
May 2022
PRIMARY AUTHOR
Alberto Cejudo Nuñez (Founder), Jocelyn Gutierrez Miranda (Architect)
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
Alexandra Lopez Arellanos (Architect), Mariana Rodríguez Monroy (Architect), Lilian Muciño Juarez (Architect), Estephani Flores Vázquez (Architect)
CLIENT
Silvia Chi Cervera - Sedatu
PHOTOGRAPHER
Andrés Cedillo
OBJECTIVE
The Culture Centre and Kindergarten (CADI) Tlatenchi, designed by Taller CD in Morelos, México, are distinct yet synergistic projects. Situated in the community of Tlatenchi within the municipality of Jojutla, both seamlessly integrate into the housing context. Despite being on separate "residual lots," a 5-minute walk apart, Taller CD prioritized coherence through uniform materials, color, layout, and structural solutions, presenting both entities as a unified whole using Catalan vaults.
Central to the projects is the contemporary incorporation of the brick vault, showcasing structural functionality, versatility, and expressiveness. The use of the vault system is a nod to traditional craftsmanship in Tlatenchi, passing down knowledge through generations. This approach enhances air circulation and addresses seismic susceptibility, ensuring safe structures with exposed load-bearing walls.
Considering the region's climate, the design prioritizes materials for thermal regulation. Louvres and openings facilitate cross-ventilation, addressing the absence of air conditioning in public buildings. The reintroduction of original paths and the selection of materials in courtyards, stairways, and walkways create visual and functional connections, fostering coherence between spaces.
These elements contribute to authentic public spaces encouraging citizen participation. The projects extend beyond physical structures, transforming into environments of encounter and active participation. Culture Centre and Kindergarten (CADI) Tlatenchi emerge as central components of community activity, reflecting a commitment to innovative design, community integration, and sustainable architecture.
CONTEXT
The project is situated in Santa Maria Tlatenchi, a community profoundly impacted by the devastating earthquake that struck central Mexico in September 2017. Within the state of Morelos, Jojutla, where the project is located, emerged as one of the most severely affected towns, witnessing the collapse of essential infrastructures such as roads, bridges, houses, churches, and the municipal market.
The endeavor is intricately linked to the aftermath of the earthquake and is an integral component of the Urban Improvement Program initiated by the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development. This program, a response to the catastrophe, specifically targets distressed communities, including Santa Maria Tlatenchi, known for its pre-existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities.
Historically, the community has grappled with underdevelopment in urban infrastructure and amenities, with unpaved roads, limited sidewalks, partial street lighting, and constrained public transportation. Connectivity to the municipal capital, Jojutla, relies on a singular road. The residential landscape predominantly comprises self-built houses of 1 and 2 levels, while public parks and essential public facilities are notably absent in the vicinity.
While the earthquake of 2017 brought attention to Jojutla, there remains a pressing need for comprehensive actions to enhance the quality of life for its inhabitants. The project, embedded in the broader Urban Improvement Program, emerges as a critical intervention addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by the physical, socioeconomic, and infrastructural deficiencies of the site, aiming to uplift and rebuild a community that has long faced disparities in basic and recreational services.
PERFORMANCE
The Integral project has been well received by the community in its initial period of use.
Casa de Cultura, under the Municipal administration's guidance hosts initiatives like handicraft classes contribute to the project's broader impact and fosters community engagement with festivals and workshops, creating a vibrant cultural scene. The central courtyard, featuring adobe brick steps, serves as a dynamic venue for festivals, where the community's ingenious approaches to covering the patio during presentations showcase their resourcefulness. The building preserved a pedestrian passage through the property that they had been using years ago, preserving the communication between the two streets where is located.
Jardin de niños, designed for resource optimization, integrates platforms and inner courtyards to create open yet confined spaces. The use of Catalan vaults, enhance comfort without air conditioning, promoting circular and cross ventilation through walls with latticework.
Construction of the vault had many reasons, one of which was to take advantage of the artisan labor of Jojutla, many of the workers employed in the construction of the vault are local residents. Vaulting was done with an aesthetic function, but also to prevent the growth of upper floors made by self-construction and to ensure in the future that the building would function properly structurally and avoid another misfortune by a natural disaster. In essence, the Integral project has become a catalyst for local development, adding significant value to users and the broader community in cultural, economic, and environmental dimensions.
