compressed earth blocks build this community center in xoxocotla, mexico

federico colella designs a new community space for earthquake-stricken town

architect federico colella of re:lab has designed a new community center with cultural and leisure facilities in the mexican town of xoxocotla. commissioned by PADF-mexico (the pan-american development foundation), the project provides local citizens with a new public space following the 2017 puebla earthquake, which caused structural damage to the existing sports center.

the new center is composed of two buildings orientated along the north-south axis on a triangle-shaped parcel of the existing sports center plot. the first structure, the largest and tallest, houses a multifunctional double-high open space. it’s positioned parallel to an existing playground, creating a small green public square along the street.

the second volume is lower and longer and it contains offices and classrooms for small workshop activities. this building is completely aligned with the street, generating a new urban front. on the other side, a large portico links the two buildings and provides a welcome element of shading. 

the larger building has a double pitched roof while the long, slimmer volume has a simple monopitch, both of which are designed to improve cross ventilation. a system of suspended bamboo ceilings and lattices in the windows enhance thermal comfort; interwoven reed doors constantly allow air, light and shadows to permeate inside the rooms.

a mixed structure has been used for both buildings that integrates standard steel profiles and compressed earth blocks (CEB) of the ‘mattone system’, a technology developed by gloria and roberto mattone, researchers from the polytechnic of turin.

the earth blocks have been produced in situ with local material and labour, using a special transportable press-machine donated by the italian embassy in mexico with the support of xoxocotla community, who have also been involved in training workshops. the earth blocks provide improved environmental conditions inside the building and are left exposed to reduce construction costs.

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project info:

name: centro comunitario ‘cuexcomate’

program: community center and rehabilitation of the annexed sports center

location: xoxocotla, morelos, mexico

client: PADF – mexico (pan american development foundation)

partnership: embassy of italy in mexico
architecture: federico colella / re:lab
project team: federico colella, aleyda resendiz, brenda hernandez, riccardo caffarella

collaborators: alan amigon, axel maqueda.

structure: workshop-AE
builder: DyC: diseño y construcción

area: 646 sqm

year: 2019 -2020

photography: jaime navarro

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