Projects

Water at the Edge: Towards Water Independence for Mexico City’s INFONAVIT Housing

by Ciara Stein (MLA I/ MUP ’21)

“Water at the Edge” envisions a new hydrologically autonomous model for social housing at the urban periphery of Mexico City. Leveraging Tatiana Bilbao’s design for the Apan Housing Laboratory, the project proposes infrastructure and spaces to capture and collectively hold water through the rainy and dry seasons.

Plans of test sites one and two.

The flexible structure of housing and shared spaces can expand and contract depending on site and need, also allowing for staggered development. “Water at the Edge” seeks to flip the image of extreme abandonment at the urban periphery and make it the basis of a new proposal that promotes civic life and water independence.

Plan for prototypes a, b, and c showing 444 homes, a market place, shared residential open space, a sports facility, central plaza, playground, paving directing water to harvesting, decentralized underground potable and non-potable water storage, centralized underground potable and non-potable water storage, and permeable street edge and plating maintained with overflow water.
Project prototype diagram.
Diagram of the water cycle showing collection, storage, use, resuse/overflow, homes, blocks, and neighborhoods.
Community water cycle diagram.
Rendering with diagrams showing water storage and amenities.
Community perspective drawing.
Water use diagram with a drawing of a family of four and their water needs.
Household water use diagram.

 

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