gabriel beas arquitectos turns a 1905 house into a plant-filled office in mexico city

this adaptive reuse project by gabriel beas arquitectos can be found in one of mexico city‘s oldest neighborhoods, colonia san rafael. first built in 1905, the original house has undergone various transformations throughout the years, with it first being used as an office in the 70s. this latest intervention carefully recovers parts of the original structure to create a harmonious relationship between old architectural features and contemporary insertions.

all images © onnis luque

the project was developed in a house that has a typical scheme for the period it was built in, with an interior patio that connects all the rooms through an open porch. the building was first used as an office in the seventies and had an annex built for the suitability of the installation of workspaces. this addition continued with a similar arrangement, a single gallery and sequential distribution between the different spaces. however, the construction system, the materials and the height of the stories are different. over the years, different rooms and roofs were added and the patios were covered so that these areas functioned as workshops and multipurpose spaces.

the adaptive reuse project, entrusted to gabriel beas arquitectos, consisted of integrating the different spaces and times of construction into offices and services. the design and execution process took about four years, during which, in conjunction with the client, the architectural program was defined. the remodeling was carried out in stages so that, weeks after the project began, the building could be in use.

the 1905 house regained its original state, recovering the carved stonework, iron windows, carpentry and tiled floors of the time. the rooms were adapted as offices, the kitchen became a storage area and dining room became a meeting room. the original structure was reinforced to add a new level that continues with the architectural scheme of the ground floor. the new added construction is a steel structure with partition walls and floor to ceiling glass. to introduce vegetation on the upper levels, the parapets function as large linear plant containers; this detail is repeated all along the roofs and terraces to unify the facades.

taking advantage of the privileged location of the site in the city center, all parking needs were eliminated. this way the patios regained their initial appearance, the roofs that covered them were removed and an interior landscape was designed. the courtyards now function as waiting and meeting areas and are the main corridors between the different parts of the project.

in the back of the property, a second extension was built, adding one office level and another level that works as a multipurpose room. the ground floor has a kitchen and a dining room for employees which is directly connected to the patio. the result is a homogeneous group of buildings in which the different times of construction coexist with the vegetation, generating a space of calm between the chaos of the city.