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AS Building in Mérida, Yucatán designed by AS Arquitectura

Project name:
AS Building
Architecture firm:
AS Arquitectura
Location:
Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Photography:
Roberto Cárdenas, Rolando Córdoba
Principal architect:
Design team:
Alejandra Abreu, Xavier Abreu
Collaborators:
Efraín Góngora, Manolo Rodríguez
Interior design:
Built area:
228.00 m²
Site area:
15 x 20 meters
Design year:
Completion year:
2011
Civil engineer:
Structural engineer:
Environmental & MEP:
Landscape:
Lighting:
Supervision:
Visualization:
Tools used:
Construction:
Material:
Concrete, glass, steel, wood
Budget:
Undisclosed
Client:
Status:
Built
Typology:
Commercial › Office Building

The Mérida-based architectural firm AS Arquitectura designed ''AS Building'' a mixed-use building that located in Mérida the vibrant capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán

Architect's statement: The project consists of a 240 sqm office building. The requirements were three premises for rent and the offices of an architectural practice. The field of 15 x 20 meters in a corner forced the building to be compacted in order to leave enough area for parking required. A building in 3 levels was proposed, the ground floor is occupied by the rent premises and the parking area, and the other two plantsbelong to the offices of the firm.

One of the major challenges in designing this mixed-use building was to achieve the harmony between two elements of different needs. Because of their gender, the firm needed to project a strong image with character, and the premises, being for rent, required a moderate investment.

The general concept of the project was to work with a white prism that unfolds itself. This prism is wall free and includes the working areas(rental area in the ground floor and workshop and meeting rooms in the upper levels). An apparent concrete cube is embedded in theprism. This cube, which is more closed, includes the service area and the reception. In this way the creative spaces are emphasized in thefree areas, more opened and brighter, where ideas flow.

AS Building in Mérida, Yucatán designed by AS Arquitecturaimage © Rolando Córdoba

The premises for rent were located with a view to the south, where is the busiest street. Access to the office was placed in the corner onWest Street. This same entrance to the office, with a triple high, is developed in two stages: a steel stairway that floats above a stonegarden and rests in a cantilever, and after the landing, an apparent concrete stair, that ends in a window that overlooks to the sky and islocated in the lobby that gives access to the office reception.

The office is organized in two levels. The first level contains the reception, bathrooms, kitchen, warehouse and workshop. At 2nd level islocated a private room and a boardroom. At the reception, which is contained in the gray cube, opens a window that allows visualamplitude and frank relationship with the outside, allowing light to bathe walls and floors and give different shades to gray concretedepending on the time of day. The gray concrete spans the entire reception area, bathrooms and kitchen, on walls, floors and ceiling,and combined with wood coatings and doors, creates a contemporary and warm atmo- sphere.

The workshop area, which is the heart of the office, is a double-height space that opens onto a balcony terrace. The window overlookingthe terrace allows having natural light and avoids artificial lighting must part of the day, in addition to having a choice of naturalventilation. Through this glass wall the workshop extends to the exterior and integrates with it.

The terrace becomes the social area when there is an event and also functions as a rest area on days of intense work. The private roomlocated on the 2nd level opens to the workshop area through the mezzanine, visually integrating these two areas and allowing thisoffice to enjoy the spaciousness of double height and the visual to the balcony.

As for the finishes, stucco walls painted white and walls finished in gray cement were used. All interior floors are made of gray polishedcement and the exterior floors are made of white chiseled cement. In stairways and interior doors light wood was used in order to helplighting spaces and large clear windows were also used for greater integration with the outside areas.

The furniture is in concrete and wood. The desks are replaced with concrete plateaus and the other office furniture, part of the firmdesigns, are in light and dark wood in order to achieve contrasts and integration with the wood used in the rest of the office.

The building appears as the image of the firm, with a contemporary and simple design that represents the office living it and allows usersto enjoy working areas with a large spatiality.

black metallic entrance steps stairs for a office building image © Roberto Cárdenas

a concrete cube stepped out of the building image © Rolando Córdoba

exterior facade of mixed-used building image © Rolando Córdoba

architectural plans for an office building Plans

 

double height office space with computers and work desks image © Roberto Cárdenas

out dated monitor and computer used in the office area image © Roberto Cárdenas

black bookshelves hanged above the desk image © Roberto Cárdenas

modern red chair in a room with grey concrete wall image © Rolando Córdoba

room with grey walls image © Rolando Córdoba

read chairs in the sitting area of the office image © Rolando Córdoba

employee working in the office area image © Rolando Córdoba

glass round table used for meeting image © Rolando Córdoba

yellow round table and yellow chairs image © Rolando Córdoba

exterior facade image © Rolando Córdoba

AS Building in Mérida, Yucatán designed by AS Arquitecturaimage © Roberto Cárdenas

architectural sections and elevations Sections & Elevations 

Concept diagram Diagram 


By Naser Nader Ibrahim

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