In 2016 DJA was invited to participate in a symposium and competition to explore the problem of social housing in Mexico. The symposium and competition was sponsored by INFONAVIT a governmental agency in Mexico dedicated to the development of sustainable social housing solutions. This competition was devised to try and begin addressing the challenges of the ‘self-built’ housing market in Mexico. These are simple, low budget, rural dwellings subsidized by a governmental program and ‘built’ by the inhabitant in a kind of owner builder model. These dwellings can often be unhealthy, unsustainable and sprawling in the aggregate. The competition challenged the participants to define processes and procedures that could result in sustainable dwellings at a higher density tied to the specific cultural, economic and social conditions of the territory.

The challenge we set for ourselves was to design a set of elements to work within the pre-existing system to better answer climate, program, connectivity and densification. We developed a system of environmental openings; light wells, chimneys, vent stacks, windows etcetera using the ‘Covintec’ assembly. This kit of prefabricated foam elements is designed to ‘plug into’ the conventional concrete frame in the construction process. The conventional frame evoking Le Corbusier’s Maison Domino is transformed with a kit of environmental components that are both contemporary in form and linked to the more traditional arched forms of masonry construction. The housing unit is designed as modules that can be expanded to address the immediate needs of the family but also can be understood in much larger denser accretions. The project pet named ‘Maison Mexico’ is positioned to evolve from territory to house to housing.