It's my first time in Atlanta I'm
very excited to be here with you.

Also for me kind of the first
lecture after I had a baby.

I have very little baby.

So you're starting the semester I'm
also starting with the same energy so

I'm glad to have this coincidence.

I'm going to talk a little bit
about how the work in the office

has evolved on how and how and
why we're doing what we're doing now.

I always like to start
comparing my work or

the moment where I wanted
to present something with.

With art because Jude mentioned
I'm very linked to it and

I appreciate a lot of it and
it makes me think a lot on many things

especially tonight I thought
of starting with this film

by fiercely adviser of a couple
of cities are artists that.

David by Spicer passed away last year so
it can see the and

with the idea of thinking on my work these

film its name these videos
named the the way things go and

it seems that it's a series of
coincidences that it's a chain that

create a chain of events
that could seem randomly

worked together to to to
create the next step.

But actually is a perfectly maneuvered and
orchestrated.

Chain of events that lead one to the other
one in the case of one of my work.

It's not a perfectly orchestrated
because one cannot control that but

it's been a chain of reactions
like like these things

are in no way that I had
the latest I think to a very

simple but profound way of of doing.

Or at least we think is profound for
us of doing and

thinking about architecture and what for.

I also like to to see this film
in the way of the collaboration.

Of things to create one
one one single story

in my case I believe that
architecture nowadays.

Needs to be done by many minds I don't
believe right now that architecture could

be only done like in the past
by one single solo mind and

having their designers on
their own there under them.

I think that it means our Isn't that good
our Asia not only with different with

architects with all their professions
as well I think it's truly important

that architecture now can
really be a response and.

Not a solution because I don't believe
that architecture as a solution but

as a really good starting
point to enhance life

in these moment in this precise moment
of society in which we are a very

complex society with
a lot of new complexities

there at least say shown
consumerism capitalism as it most.

So I think I could actually can provide
really a way of lifting life in this

in this precise moment of history
in every other as well but

I think that now is very important.

So I don't think that doing it
from I saw mine could really work.

Understanding the place where you work.

The society that you will
deliver the project with.

It's not an easy job.

So it's not easy to do it with one single
mind I think you need several mines and

not only several several architects I
think you really need two people from

different backgrounds different
academic backgrounds but also.

Different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

So this is why I really collaborating
with in my office in our in my office and

I'm going to speak the whole lecture
because we are a team of course I'm

probably the face of the leader
of the team but we are a team and

we work together horizontally.

But also I always like to
collaborate with different.

Professionals different
professions as well and

you will see also that through
my lecture so I when I

was thinking on David Bice when he
passed away and I I was remembering

one of their most important works which
was which was that when the way things go.

I truly start on how in my in my work
the way things go have affected or

have really affected how
how what I'm doing today.

No I live in Mexico City and
the of this is there.

I grew up there Mexico City's The red dot

in the country like sickle cities
at twenty two million city.

It is probably as extend as Atlanta.

Not even counting the suburbs.

So you can imagine how dense it is but

although it could you could think
that it looks pretty dense.

It's a city when that when you're there.

This scale is so easy to maneuver
with that you don't feel like

Probably New York which is totally dense
and you feel you have the nine million

people that leap there on top of your
head because you literally have them.

In Mexico.

You don't in Mexico.

It's a very extended CD It's
an average to floor height.

It has definitely some Corydoras or

streets that have taller buildings but
not so many these

green very green city although you
you wouldn't imagine that of a.

Twenty two million city.

But it is it was doing the forty's
that there was an urban policy I think

that when when the only policies
were working in the city.

That they had to plant a tree every
twenty metres and it really every

twenty meters on a sidewalk really worked
because nowadays the city is pretty green.

There are many informal settlements
that have become formal and

this is one of our big interests how
organically the city has developed

this looks totally rigidly planned but

it wasn't the thing and why it's so
straight is because the agricultural

land that these illegal part of the city
was built on was divided like this and

this was the owners having these
plots that are so rigidly disposed.

And this is why the grid look so
planned but

it was never planned this is an informal
settlement that what happened.

It was that the people arrived.

Then they started to to
create in their own community

even their own services then
the government arrived.

Then the government had to rebuy.

The legal land to put some infrastructure
and to start really putting

services legal services established
services for the communities there.

It has grown also organically

all over the valley all the way
up to the valley ends and

doesn't allow anymore to be to grow
literally as you can see here.

The historic center is one of one
of a kind is really important

it was founded by the asterix in

before the Spaniards arriving when this
finance arrived they built on top.

Literally of this of the Aztecs city.

So it's very representative of.

Culture.
It also has this very mixed of

architecture story and

I had a I think this works here there.

So this is a historic center as you can
see there's a lot of different styles

in the architecture because there's many
different times of the of the history

were the investment has been done.

We also have these neighborhoods
of boom of the real

estate development which they look like
they could be anywhere in the world.

We have people that are have been
building on top of the hills very

rich people that would like
to have their gardens flat so

therefore they build a huge
structure to have a flat house and

a flat guy then in a hill but
also people that much poorer and

they need to really stick
to the program know we have

a huge housing problem of course because
they see it is a city of opportunity so

every every other person in
the country wants to come and

live in Mexico City which
the government is solving

like these the definitely I
think that it goes nowhere.

It's getting nowhere.

Now it's getting into really.

A line where it's even a breakdown for
all the companies and for

all the people because
this is not a solution.

Definitely.

But as I was saying is it's a very

extended have beautiful city and we have
our office in the center of the city for

me it's very important that we are exactly
where all the energy gets together.

Which is for me it's here it's in the eye
and the line up and then to school.

These monument and
our offices right here for

me is very important that we have
these opportunity of I really have a.

In the energy of this in
the inside our office.

This is literally what happens.

We are facing reform in this.

So you can see we are all
day long in that in

communication with this exterior space and
everything

happens in the form I in this area like
all the demonstration manifestations

when we win a food where championship
that we do we won the Olympics.

So at least one or

were political demonstrations
a lot of things have been

around these these monumental for
me was very important to be there.

We started doing architecture.

The way we learned to do architecture so
I learned architecture

in the moment where in every other
school in the world we were starting to

to try to create a good
texture with it and

tried to do our miters with very
technological material with

different softwares and create
an architecture through algorithms and

although I was never given
the right tools to it.

We were taught to do
architecture like that.

So we started when I started doing
architecture this is what Definitely I was

looking for their geometries.

How to do these spaces.

Amazing structures that
could hold with different

technological materials but when I started
working I realized that it was fairly hard

to use these technological materials that
I don't know that I didn't knew because

that I wasn't taught to use them and that
do we don't have and have them by hand.

So but we still did some of
some buildings and strangely

when we did this building in China which
is about an exhibition in China in a park.

Where other seventeen
structures are within

the studio in Mexico City and strangely

enough with this one in the project
in time of course not because of the.

Distance between us and
the construction site but

with this when we learned a lot about
the construction technique in China was

a little bit the same Scapin in Mexico and
we truly learned how to

do exposed country exposed concrete
with this with this building.

We were experimenting with with forms and
that add a complexity to the building but

at least at the end what we truly
understood was how to treat

exposed concrete is white exposed concrete
I'm sorry it doesn't look very well but.

There we continue working and we continue
developing different projects with

trying to understanding how to break this
geometry time how to combine these German

trees with the materials we could use
we designed this housing in one day

in a hill which was recently completed but
it was design at that time.

That what principles was that we started
with the next are gone and the excess

going west starting to break the pending
on the topographically the program and

the different site conditions
like trees rocks etc.

And so

we were exposed trying to explore as I was
saying different geometries not probably

experimenting a lot with materials because
we couldn't have them in and by hand.

But I think that truly a breaking
point was building this house

these house was is a house that
was designed by this governor

who is one of the most three
known contemporary in Mexico.

He's working international recognition and
he's been exhibiting in.

All the museums in the world etc
He is the one that I can say

that is the limit from post mother
now to contemporary art in Mexico and

he is the one that created this
school of Contemporary Art in Mexico.

So he's a very influential
person he's a key person after

any story how I met him when
I was out of school and

this is kind of also like a message
when I was out of school.

Of course we had nothing to do and

no commissions we we had a lot of
things to do but no direct commissions.

We had we were doing many competition
any other competition that was out open

in the world we were doing it but
also we were thinking and doing exercises

to develop our minds we were doing
designing a house in the moon for

example because we thought we were going
to start designing houses for the moon and

this time that well maybe no sun And

we were thinking on houses
in different projects and

public projects that are doing different
exercises and we'd love the work of

was very little known in Mexico still
at that time but we knew his work.

So we decided to to study a little
bit more on him and his work.

Not knowing him.

And we we designed a house for him and

we knocked on his door literally
like that not knowing him and

saying we design a project for you and
he was very happy to hear about it.

Our crazy idea and you follow a little bit
the project that was any topic project

nothing happened and
five years later here arrives and

nothing in my door asking me for
help for his projects allowed.

That's a little story that you never you
never know what leads you to when you

knock a door and then.

So these when he came
he had the design and

he wanted me to help him only to build.

So for me was kind of this train
a strange Commission but also was very

interesting to work along with him on
this project in a beautiful site and

so what we did is what we adapted
to he Sadia which West to to

to build the same structure as that
gentleman that in India which is

an we which is an observatory in India
that exists is in the seventy ninety

five and and transform it into our
house and village in this place.

So what we did is we did we did
this architectural process of

translating these idea into a built thing

that purses gave us a lot of things
obviously as I said I was saying

being near got real Orozco for
three years was amazing amazing.

But I think the most important thing
that these project lead left us was that

what we had to do our task was to be
able to build these in this place

with the local people of
the fishing Billette and

belief structure which to us appeared in
the beginning of very simple structure.

A very simple task.

But you can imagine at that being so
remote and

finding people that would never ever have
used concrete in their lives was a pretty

difficult task and but
that gave us a lot of key

key issues to our to our understanding
of architecture I think that.

First of all what we understood
is we don't have the labor skills

that technological materials require
we don't have the technological

material materials that the new
architecture require that

the architecture created with algorithms
in a computer software required.

We don't have probably not
even the language that

is able to be transmitted to these
people for that architecture but

we do have highly creative
hard labor highly flexible.

Amazingly cheap.

Unfortunately because that's bad for the
country obviously but that makes things.

That makes things different.

It's just different.

We don't know if it's better good but

that's the conditions of that we have
in Mexico the conditions that really

are imposing for
me is not imposing actually for

me is the conditions that are permitting
to create this type of architecture now.

So I understood at that moment
that it was released is strange to

start keep thinking on designing
on target geometries looking for

different Al Gore is them to create
incredible skin that could cover space

blah blah blah with that thermic
material that we don't have that's it.

No we don't know it.

We don't have it.

We don't build it.

The people don't know how to
use it how to install it.

How to use it how to maintain it.

So I thought that if we were struggling to

build this very simple geometric
structure as we struggle to build it.

Then we created at the end a beautiful
structure that really were there.

Finally why would we struggle trying
to to to do and the geometries.

To explain to these people to
do the same Mystere mold for

the pool was already a very
complex no wonder if

we on top of it had totally folded
surface with totally different angles.

I don't know I don't know how would
we have had to explain that to them.

I mean it would have been impossible.

So this is the kind of
reflection that these

work gave us to the office and
led us to to develop the architecture

that we are now doing so what we're trying
to do is probably we always start with

a very different not
defined metric form and

it goes more complex every time we go more
into the project or we think on it or we

add that or the complexities that I needed
by the program or the context or whatever.

And for example like this one that we
started with the most archetypical form of

the house we started the complexity
combine it with the program

the complexities of the site and
at the end the result is a house with

I could typical form but including
a lot more of the complexities that

our our way of thinking that these
translation of this project would need.

This is for example.

Another example.

This is a spectacle center for
Spector a very special

spectacle done in Mexico that
it's done in Roman like the it or

which has a circle in the center and
then all the people who surrounded.

It's a spectacle named by length.

And so it's when singers are very aware of

what the public is saying and the public
gets mess with the with the singers etc.

So so why we created is a structure.

This is a battery a structure that

folds around the scenario.

That is obviously in
references to him in New York.

But what their ideas like we want it to.

Activate the interior.

Rings for a sequel Asian but also for
programs as well as the exterior ones

we wanted to create these series of
rings that could help close to do

a building also that could serve for
different things.

Not only when the building was used
to have this spectacle but also

when the building is not used to have this
spectacle also something that we are very

involved this is Wayne trysted in how we
can activate buildings in a different way

and not just what the client asked us not
in this case that a mass was literally for

up Olenka for the spectacle center and we
thought why don't we use the restaurants

serving for the blanket when the blank is
going on to service restaurants as well

why don't we use the bar also to create a
nice bar that could be used for both ways.

Why don't we use the whole
building to be a viewing platform.

Instead of just being
a spectacle Center and

this is why we created these rings that
could hold that So also kind of our

involvement goes through their convincing
their clients Ed in our economy and so we

need to push things further I don't know I
don't even think that only in our economy.

I think.

Everywhere in the world we
should push things forward and

not create create buildings that could
really work for more things no especially

I think that's our responsibility
Nowadays these building same principle.

They asked us for office building
that would be very flexible that

had flexible floor plans and

they said that they had studied before
that that the best floor plans for

them they work on the base spaces or
square rooms or

rectangular rooms at the most very
simple free of walls and partitions.

But very easy to connect with and

it with with a single
element of of circulation.

So what we did is we took their
their literally their needs and

we said OK we do release rectangle floors
and we create a building a stacking of

this building of this floors that we
moved depending on the program but

also on the shadow that could
allow us to to really take care

of this building as a very sustainable
building not in terms of I think

technology to make it sustainable just
in terms of using the correct light and

orientation and the delays and
then with the movements of the.

Of the of the the stacking of the floors.

We could achieve the kind of shadows
that we needed a need floor at

the time of the of the day depending
on the program that it was inside.

This is something that we also
think it's a big necessity nowadays

know we need to understand
that are you texture.

We are going with more technology and
asking for

more new requirements to make it more
sustainable why don't we go back and

use the power like more natural and
simple.

Tools we have to create buildings
that are more efficient.

So that's what we don't we don't do the
other way because we cannot do the other

way because our economy
cannot hold the other way

our technology cannot hold
the other way so we start on that.

So so but
that I think it should be what what.

We go back to at the end no.

These house had another important

issue we needed to build a house of two
hundred square meters which is not so

big with a budget of one hundred thousand
one hundred twenty thousand more or

less U.S. dollars which in in the U.S.
sounds like crazy.

You cannot build a house that big three
thousand square meters I think three

hundred for me to.

It's like three thousand square feet or
less.

In Mexico.

You can be led.

It's a good budget but not with
these spaces that the client wanted.

Well it's not a good budget
is a tight budget but

it's it's feasible it's
their client one that

really like a living room with double
high and would inside in a studio and

four rooms and
then service area etc There are so

with all these requirements it was
there but it was really really tight.

So our first idea was to think on
what material we could use to meet.

These budget.

I also think and you have seen it through.

So when I've shown that I could
actually is a language and

I For me the best way to
to start a conversation and

then to set of the the basis for
a conversation is to be very direct and

fortunately for us in Mexico with
the weather and the conditions there.

We have we can use the materials
in a very direct way.

This doesn't happen in other types of
of weather unfortunately it's not so

easy though it can but it's not so
easy so as you can see we like

to use the material all
expressions like we would like it

to be the state the definition
the acoustic solution

there at the thermal solution
the structural definition etc So

everything done with the same materials so
for

this house we needed one material that
would allow us to do all that and

then be within the budget so concrete
was out of there out of the question.

Brick we needed a double structure because
if we wanted to we needed the what

the week and the another structure
to structure to to get the height.

Would is not an option in Mexico.

We cannot build with
wood is totally expense.

We don't have to build.

Still out of the question
of because of budget so

what we arrive to is what that
we could use come back to Earth.

So I started studying
the compact there are three.

We haven't you said before we arrived to
the conclusion that these were the correct

material it was a very noble material
that that allow us to build a house.

We wanted within the budget
that was a given to us and

the thing is that there was a very thick.

Two food exists intimidators thick so

that makes the structure feasible for
the for the spans we won it and

so this is only compacted there
are all over it just Earth and

you compacted with a machine with
water with eight percent of cement.

And we use the concrete slabs
because this was the cheapest

in terms of the structures solution and
in terms of of of the.

Ideas we had for the for the house.

So what we did in this one.

The way of starting to develop
the project was to study the material

to understand the material understand how
we could build it and then we developed.

The the project and the and they be
of the house which is very simple is

just two squares that hold one the public
program they are there when the they

are more private program of the house and
one is facing the mountain this one and

the other one as you saw in
the beginning is facing the lake.

So this one is totally more open to
the lake the other one is more close to

the mountain also is north and south.

There's a big lake here and
this is a second home for

the family obviously you can
see they're very it's very.

Simple and and
then tears because of the budget this well

these two still columns you see
there they're not columns or two.

So they're there to use that whole the
drainage from the from the rooftops part

of the ornamentation of the interior of
the house the aesthetic of the house.

What we decided and in the same way we
did this funeral house in San Reese but

the scene there.

The program is divided into
six chapels there we call

them morning chapels the chapels
where the bodies when you go in and

do the funeral other there are over posts

within the patio that it's
Governor covered patio.

That leads to the all
the funeral chapels and

here our main idea Wes to help to get
him in a space that could really and

hundreds or exult here is your your
feelings when you are there and

you can leave all your feelings there and
then go a little bit more relaxed

because of the situation that is
given when you go to the space.

But besides I could really speak
truly on this project for two hours.

Besides all this if you try
leaving that all the high and

all the conceptual ideas that go behind
this project then the process we did with

the light etc transitional space
is limited because of the subject

more practically speaking what we
wanted this to use a local materials.

It looks very pink is not so
pink but it's think what we did

is only the only material that could we
could use that could allow us to give to

do this organic forms and
and structure West concrete.

And we use the aggregate of the earth
of the area we to which is big.

This is why it's pink it's pinkish
it is looks younger than we are but.

For example in this one.

We knew we were going to get that
Hundley ever that was a very very

untrained hand labor like even
the worst hand little hand labor

training hand hand they were we could
get even worse than him because these

people would never never ever before in
their lives even had even built nothing.

So these we knew because a client told
those in the beginning that he was going

to be live with these guys that help
them before to do the plumbing they

even washing their cars.

You know told this guy was going to be
the head of the construction this we knew.

So we decided why don't we design
with him to understanding what we

could take him to do so we started with
him doing all the tests of the concrete.

It took us like over a year they were
good the clients had this patience and

this money to do it it was not so
expensive but the time was was big and

so we developed also the mold for
the walls with them.

The poor eating we did like
we poured a part of a wall

probably twenty times to understand
how we could do it with the correct.

Amount of these aggregate for the coal or

etc At the end we had to put a little
pigment because it was not working.

So so
as you can see the color is not perfectly.

Developed in the whole thing but

this is also something that we we
knew it was going to happen and

in this case what I write I

think that this project allows us
to understand why I'm showing it.

Now.

Because although it's not perfect and

we we thought it was not going to
be perfect because we knew it says

a regaining that this person was not going
to achieve a perfect exposed concrete.

We wanted to go to something and
to understand how we could define

the space not depending on the little
details and not depending on

the perfect finish of the of the building
but the pending on the design of

this space that this space could really
be the this strong thing there and

that if it was not perfectly finished
as if it is as it is you can see

then it didn't matter so because
the space is really what matters know so

that I think this is also something very
important on the work we do because it's

impossible to achieve if we would have
think that we always wanted to achieve

this perfectly serious leave the Isley
perfect concrete in like in Switzerland.

Then we would frustrated the whole
time because this is impossible to

achieve here.

So I think that this is important
to say that we are also aware that

our designs are not going to be perfectly
finished and so therefore we we get

the advantages of that and
we use them in our and in our in our side.

These two projects that I'm going to
present quickly to the end I wanted to

focus a little bit but I think I'm
getting very long and to I think one or

two of my my most.

Love projects I like them very much.

And they're in my heart I
think because many reasons.

The two are public projects when
the first one is then equally a gun.

Mexico City is the red dot in the center
you said before this is a state of

a similar law and the Capitol is which you
might have heard this weekend they capture

the biggest couple of drug leader in
the world that which is a temple was mine.

And he's from on.

And he has the largest card starting
from coal you can from the city.

So this city has a long history

especially in the minds of everybody
of all of the of all of us of all

the Mexicans to be the drug capital of
the of the country at least you know.

So this is what how we know the city
this city has nothing in particular.

Besides for the rivers which for you might
not be so impressive when in Mexico.

We have no rivers at all.

I mean we have three rivers and they're
not bagged navigable it's up there.

So this if he has a part to
go lightly that have a river

that device in three in the middle of
the city which the people don't use but

this is the only practical idea they
have this state is a really productive

state there in the state
that exports the I

think the whole production of tomatoes for
Canada or something like that.

I'm not sure about this study sticks
never ever so I don't lead them by heart.

But.

But the truth is that the state
the pence in agriculture and

here also the economy of the country
is very well influenced by this

production of agriculture
in this in these state.

This is why Pearlie it turned out
to to become a little bit but

agriculture afterwards and
started the plantation of money won and

then those become more and more and
more powerful and they're in

their own like the whole distortion
of coke in the world or something.

I don't know.
Also these statistics I don't I don't

can't with the truth is that these terror
estate has has this characteristic it is.

Very much influenced in
everything in the architecture

in the way of life because of this
lifestyle of the drug dealers.

So not only did drug dealers people
not did the drug dealers family.

Have this life.

But the whole city is becoming like these.

This is their cemetery
of the drug dealers.

It's impressive.

It's impressive and

of course it's very big you know because
everybody like every every week.

A lot of people die very young
especially they also have their own

religion kind of religion they have
their saint which is Mulberry there.

And this model where they
has influence really a lot.

The culture of the city
the music the fashion.

The.

Everything is really permeated by
this culture of drug dealers and

the new money and the and
rich people you reach so.

So it's really influence and it's
really in the city and in this city but

there's also a huge economy of
course of very wealthy established

companies very well legal
companies of different things and

there's a there's one of these
companies by the president

of these boards of utterance of
business were technical guy then.

And this is what I need are you guys then.

That existed since forty five
years ago it was created more and

more as of Atlantic island twenty five
years ago eight years ago the president

of the board which is this businessman
from the city decided to starting to

donate some pieces of his site collection
to the guys in the Public Garden and

so therefore he he hired a curator and
the curator convinced him that instead of

donating pieces of his collection he has a
very important contemporary I Collection.

Instead of doing that.

Why wouldn't he.

Commissioned the artist to do a piece
from this artist in the garden.

So he was convinced they
decided they needed a Nike

tech to really merge these
two programs to be able to.

Design buildings and

things to merge these two programs they
were existing with the nickel garden.

And the new program of art.

So they made it me and what I did
is we developed a master plan that

would really help doing this integration.

We did we develop it.

Tracing the branches of the tree of
the existing guys then and with that we

are left with the existing laser we
cannot see this drawing same story.

So at the end what we did is we
created a master plan that we could.

Insert.

Or integrate the existing guys in
with a new program with a different

works of art with their new buildings
that needed to be added this project

was done before we did the house of God
we have you're going to see clearly.

Well but

you can also see how this program also
integrates some large pieces of fight.

I don't have a point but there are pieces
from different ideas like all of us on.

James to where I

mean Billy's this huge is forty Iris
working in this site and we are working.

Also with a team that is developing
the ecology of landscape.

So we are redoing the whole guy and then
in terms of of the ecology of landscape

and our idea is always to be really aware
that these guys and first of all existed.

That it is it was a very fun place for
the people in Korea can.

So we didn't want it to change it
radically We just wanted to uplifted and

to support what was already happening but

with with the vision of the new
integration of the new program.

So what we did is we really didn't swipe
like the activities that happened before.

So for example the young guy that used
to happen in the past we didn't create.

A yoga place because in the beginning
of course our ambition was

all of the do juggle lets do it your play
is a platform of blah blah are we doing.

And then we said we're going
to kill that happening

this plan ten is happening so we just.

Any Hanes the whole place and
left leave the violence to be used by

the users as it is now you know our
idea is really to intervene the minimum.

But the toughest as possible at
the same time to really support these

integration of the new program.

So this is images of there
of the guy then that is

already intervene and the pieces of art.

For example like these one which
is a piece from I know a lot

of the yeah I would too.

There are a couple of American artists
that are very important artist but

these pieces and what I think for
my favorite one.

Why is my favorite project is
because it has created something

in Mexico that it was it's amazing.

And we never thought of it.

It's that we are really into grading
contemporary art to this to these are say

it is a safe it was never in contact
with contemporary art with Art point.

Let's not say contemporary There
were there is one museum that is

supported by the same guy obviously
that we're now in a real there and

then we bring different exhibition but

it cannot be saw ambitious
because a space is not very good.

For it.

So I think it is very rare
thing in this society.

So when we started putting these pieces
and people are starting to getting world

with these pieces in a very cutting
the anywhere in a way every day.

Lives every day life activity

then people is really getting
involved with our instead of if

these pieces exactly the same pieces
were put in this is exactly museum that.

I'm telling you about there.

Nobody would have gotten nobody would have
really started interacting with the pieces

nor in this case really funny how
they interact is really simple.

There per million of that obviously
is very difficult to photograph but

it has it is now this scenario for

weddings no or
these piece of ideas Francis alleys.

That he crashes what joined in the guy
then and obviously you can imagine

what these people are thinking
the their thinking this strong guy.

What is he doing with that
car in our guy Illinois and

then they call it our guys and
I mean there is their guy then.

So I guess really getting involved
learned only in the every day.

This is a piece from a laugh really as on
which is a beautiful time billion that

shows that literally makes you think on
the parts of the seasons which is in this

in this place is not so obvious because
it seems that it has only one season

the hell season because it's so hot that
everybody says it is the hell season so

but these five really aren't allows you
to see that they are season actually

because at some point is really
covered with the flowers and

points is not and
some point is just the plant.

That gives different shadows so through
the year you can really see that seasons

pass this is a piece from Richard long and
not another American artist.

This was the only artist that
didn't went to the guys and

did a work that cut West Commission
especially for the guy then this piece

was in the Met class in New York
that it was installed there

obviously was in style as an eyepiece or
nothing like this happened in New York.

But even here this piece has
been the picnic setting for

many things also like this
they have been filming.

Even like fashion in these in the.

On top of the literally.

And the thing is that
we are in the car and

they are allowing to do to have this money
for stations because this is a way that

really people is getting involved with
that for example this business from a very

well known Mexican audience that is
a Margolis who is from there from.

And she is very involved
in doing her out very

like the protest out on the on
the topic of the drug dealers and

this piece is that these are very
comfortable Venters in a beautiful place

with lots of shadow and
they're poured in concrete.

But the concrete this board with
the wire that was used to wash the dead

bodies of the people killed
by the drug dealers.

So in the beginning there was nobody knew
that these benches were done like that but

she always wanted to have an inscription
to that said that but for one thing or

another we didn't put it in
the beginning the inscription

we put it very long after
the benches were installed.

And then when they put in the inscription
there was a huge revolution like literally

these ladies bring the paper they used
papers the news in the television.

So everybody was focusing
on clout in the world.

Someone could allowed these artists to
use these water and not tell them and

allow them to be resting in these mentors
will be done with this whether or

not I mean it was really a big topic and
this is what itis about and

this is what is starting to happen now
the ideas say is that we are sitting on

top of the problem and resting on top of
the problem and not doing nothing and

it's literally like this in the got there.

No but the people were really
involved with these fees and

were really actively trying
to take it out way and

then they Ibis came and
gave a lecture and then and then.

People started to to communicate and
then starting to like that.

It said there are so people are going
really well without what our needs to be

or this is another piece about
Michael Brown three million of

our lease out is also the fifteen years

old their photographs there because
it's very important for them.

These plays.

Giuliano be the last Corps.

Sophia us in many different is their
forty ideas that are working in

there are then and what we're doing
is we're trying to do this little

interventions which as I told you were
designed way before barriers How's that

where the idea was that they were they
come from the idea of the master plan.

And that they for

example this open air out of the toy
room that they integrate with nature and

that they always remind you that you
are in of authentic island no these for

example they when it does you're to
create a small of the Tory him to pass

a seven minute video on what the guy's
a nice and we convince him to do it and

open air because if you're going to
see it in the in if you're going to

have a three hour tour to see this
with the nickel guys in in this heat.

Why wouldn't you.

We're able to see a seven minute video
interruption in the heat as well.

Noise when you are in there.

You went there for that.

So we convince him to do this open little

intervention in his open
area with Tor you like that.

So all the structures the idea
is of that you do you have some

structure there definitely need to
be sales that cover space for them.

Program interior For example this is an
exhibition space a library a workshop and

and or
this one which is a facility which is

a little room for kids and
a service area bathrooms.

But so we separated the program
always into the minimum.

So if you are in there are very many when
when I go to the bathroom you need to exit

and you need to feel the garden and you
need to feel the weather and you need to

hear the sounds of the guy then and then
you need to go to where you need to so

if an event is happening a movie is
being screened in the other story and

you are always reminded that you
are inside of a botanical garden and

not just in the middle of the city not so

also act at some point is
related to architecture.

So the bumps you see in
front of the buildings.

It's a piece by his name.

There is one can dock.

Which is a cemetery of the ruins of

the existing little hut that used to be
there for the educational facility for

the kids and so what they did is
they buried these these ruins and

now it's called new ruins and it's
like a lunatic space for kids as well.

Related to the kid kids' area
in this case in terms of

architecture what we did is we created
these shells that ourselves supported

only with the exterior walls and
on the roof.

So it's like a shelf thirty
thirty centimeters think so.

This is why I'm telling you we have the
opportunities to build with these weather

in this with these conditions.

So we can do this.

Charles like these with made it
concrete with pellets that are.

Allowing us one to be more and more light.

So it can support itself.

But secondly it could
really make the space in

terms of temperature incredibly
efficient because we can

downgrade that now take temperature for
seven or eight degrees which when they.

They told me that we could do that.

I really truly didn't believe so.

But it happens.

It has been that
the interior temperature is

sometimes even ten degrees less
than the steerage temperature.

So it works with no nothing
else than the design

the keeping the sun out having
the shell of this material

and in this case we're very lucky because
the collector that is funding everything.

It's a public space but it's founded by
this private person which is something

also very important that it's happening
in Mexico because here in the U.S.

you are used to have these
private institutions and

private persons to invest in
public infrastructure in public or

cultural institutions or
in research in these things in Mexico.

This doesn't happen
everybody is waiting for

the government to invest in these
public spaces or or cultural spaces or

whatever but
in this case this is happening and

this is really something that is changing
also cultures culturally speaking what

the hell things are done so this is also
why is one of my favorite products but

he wanted to have like these
beautiful Gilead on concrete and

we found this company that
is doing this in Mexico and

they are they really have
a very trained hand labor.

So this quality of concrete
is very special this week.

It's not normal.

But this we were lucky to have it and
we never sort of the building to being

built in this perfect conditions but the
of course when it's done it's it's super

nice to so this is what I was telling you
we don't get frustrated because it's not

built super nice because we thought that
we needed to rebuild suburbanites better.

We thought in this case we wanted to
create this rough shells that could

hold the space interior that could relate
with nature and if they were rough and

they were not fairly well finished it
was fine but then when it happens and

it's it's really good then you really
happy and the end now so I think that.

It's also kind of a technique to
not get restrained in our side.

Now this is the interior of when
it was just finished it was like

four years ago of the of
the educational room for kids.

Now when it's used the toilets.

They are the Tory.

Bestival of the old Dettori room and
the exterior of the set of buildings.

Now we're starting the new generation of
buildings that we designed with the same

principles but the new geometries for
this bill for this project because this is

an ongoing project and soon I hope I can
show you again more of these images.

This was a cover.

We did for dummies but
I'm not going to go there but

I'm going to go very quick to this last
project which is a pilgrimage route that

we did a long one hundred fifty four
kilometers in the course state.

This is a state of police go up and
well I go for

this and this is their route covering
a path between place name America and

their destiny which is there's
a church with a burgeon

a virgin a rosary that three million
pilgrims go there every year

during holy week more or
less the it's a length of a month more or

less and the government wanted to this has
happened for two hundred years more or

less and the government wanted to create
to give some infrastructure because there

was no infrastructure all along the route
and this is why they hire us and

what we want it is to really
think that we could convince them

to hire a very wide range of different
I.Q. tests good to intervene in this space

because we thought of the topic being
really truly important for these people.

This is a very spare time moment
to decide to work for four day.

To go and pray to a burgeon for me it's
very it's an amazing moment of someone so

to to do a project to accompany this
ritual was a very silly Kade for

me in my mind and I thought I would
never be able to do it by myself.

So we invited a group of people
to develop the master plan.

I could Mexican I could take their
advice and I'm on the air and

along with them with this that
I had to convince a client to

to hire different architects an artist
to intervene in the different.

Parts that they required us to do
we created a master plan where

these are images on the little towns
at the route passes along that totally

dependent cannot make clear on this
route they sell within these months

whatever they sell through the year.

So this is how important it is for the
region and how little the infrastructure

that the pilgrims have not the used their
houses the houses that of the local people

the public spaces of the little towns
the people there cook for them for

the pilgrims this only so these people
leave truly for this month of the year.

No the pilgrims also have created
a different form of infrastructure

this is in the middle of the hills.

It's a resting point and
a little chapel there and well

the signs along the route the people who
are there rest people the parking areas.

So what we did is we created
this team inviting a way.

CHRIS to guide them in from eighty tear.

An hour in Africa to lay on a set
of different Mexican I could.

Thanks to the Bill of different
things along the route.

So we created a master plan defining
where to put sanitary services

medical services trash containers or.

Places to Eat and to rest that there
are so and then we created and

we imagine where choose where we
could put this point of interest or

icons or places of gathering.

We're also a little be
the place in the reflection

that it would be developed by these
different architects Naso the first point.

The idea of the government
was to create one

like may literally ask us for a step for

sculpture of gratitude
that could mark like

the beginning of the or the where
people mostly begin the pilgrimage.

So what we decided is to create
a space an open chapel and

our principal West to create this chapel
in this most simple and most strongest

Catholic symbol which is across this is
a Catholic rock sorry I didn't say before.

And so we did The Big Chill
cross with these four walls.

We simply if the there was of course
also as to the again it's unbearable and

that these spectacular monument in Mexico
City that have these walls these large was

going to die but we created this space

that could serve as an open top ball that
can be seen from many different points.

So it can really be a point of
distinction within the rood

it also marks the beginning but
we also create that.

For example the next point which
is on top of the month as you

can see there in the middle is
a column created by Ike it takes.

Chris another mine from Switzerland and

you can see it from here
you can see the next point.

So it's also an idea.

Your route is going to be a long haul.

So from that column you can
also see the next point.

And in some cases you cannot see the next
point would you enter through the route it

depends on what we wanted to create so
this is the next point in the column that

I was telling you about the next one you
encounter if you don't see it from or

from the different places which is
a way with only a wall that exits to

the landscape and goes into the mountain
like in a little bit of reflection of

your exterior ness as individual and
your individually nice and

interior ness and as person no next point.

Well there are different points so

we serious along the route developed
by another designer in Mexico.

There are different shelters designed by
author and other architect in Mexico.

That we take you to place them
along the little towns as

they could serve for different functions.

When the.

Pilgrimage is not going on.

So it's also I can and
building that it can serve for a different

different program that it was asked for
for example this one is working class

political reunion center for the for the
talent for the town and the towns around

it is also one of the shelters not so
it's a simple building with lots

of illumination and mental ation that is
used for shelter in this in this period.

The next point you encounter is this
chapel that we did we did two walls just

fall into each other and that create
this inner space spiritual inner space.

Another point you encounter these
observant observation point.

Going to go fast when and
then we can open for questions.

This one is done by Alexandra
de Now this is that the.

Highest point on their road that all of a
sudden you enter into this structure that

could be in a very different situation but
it's totally out of the out of nowhere.

The last point you
encounter before you enter

a town where the back to this is this one.

We don't buy that at the lake.

I'm not personally yet.

And what they did is just and

circle the landscape to create a pun
point of start reflection or or whatever.

So with this I'm going to to open up for
questions if there are I'm sorry

if it took a little bit longer than it
should but I I I'm happy to hear you

all thank you very much much much

richer very much for

Scrushy we

found out

when I heard from some of your sources

that units of your

room of the few

years since you were here

was a lot of services.

For example and if you know the House for

us was very important that you could
have this space really define and

plays where you can play a lot with

the transitional way of using
the light and creating the spaces.

But we also needed every we find space for
where they where the.

Maureen retrial is is happening.

So this is where we try to put
our efforts in the budget and

in this situation to try to
do this we find we talk not

only they look in the photograph but
they're not totally like that.

Interior is not for
example we use that but it's natural

cast without any paint or anything so
it looks a little bit rough now.

So it doesn't have any doesn't
fall because in the painting and

they don't repaint there that said
there are no so it's natural and

it is that but it's more refined than
the rough exterior because we definitely

needed to create this space
more more more as a fine tune

your fine tuned space for for these
which are now more and more to be more

cozy more more for
the more specific for it or.

Interested in school or

it's more of those so
this is one of those.

Researchers from the war or force.

Side in this case in the finals
was the same persons and

we've been up with them this details
not even in all their cases for

example when there were ten
of the I then which tell you.

We don't we didn't wanted to create
this very nice detail we as we as a tell

you were you when it
really felt very rough but

they declined when it that these
roughness was done to proceed.

So we even higher.

Like they were different people doing
the still different people doing that

there were different people doing the
concrete specialized people that we filed

around the country because
they were they were not if

they were from different
places of the country.

So it depends on the project and
depends on the client.

Now also but mostly what I'm telling
you is like we try to define the space.

Within a finishing of the Space if we want
to create a more a more intimate space

that is more and we find then we try

to use the materials in a row there
of materials we can use to do that.

Or we or we create the strategies to do
that but within the space now not the not

the perfect definition of these
perfectly put that setter.

It's.

This.

Yeah that's that something we have
that we are very lucky that we.

Well it's strange because we
create really at Truly said our

plans this think and
they don't see it too.

Sprawl is the first front page.

They stack in the back and
they start building and

then we we go to the construction site and
we develop that whereas for

example we're doing a project in France
now and it's totally different now.

There we have to really do this
type of plant and they're going

to look through it and they're not going
to have a relation with ours at all.

So it's a totally different condition
definitely which is kind of problematic

at some points because you arrive and
there's not a door where it should be and

you said that is it should be a door here
on No you never said that come on is in

the person the one who of course is
in the plans and then they need.

The problem you know but especially
because nobody nobody nobody but

the client pays for

it because nobody respects legal
responsibility at the end though.

But that I was do other things whereas
in France that is a restriction but

also it's AIDS and
freedom because then you know

that you are in control perfectly you
truly do from the beginning to the end.

So both so
everything has its advantages and

it's in this at that that is
not like everything in life.

So it's just a condition that we work and
what we are trying to understand

always is trying to understand what is the
condition that we work and work with it.

Now in France.

That's a condition.

We need to draw these set of plans and

that's going to be their weights
going to be built and that if point.

So we are planning for that to happen and
then Mexico we know that this set

of billion plans are going to be stacked
in the behind them that we need we need

to be sitting there the whole time in
that construction site to try to control

what we can know in
the moment that we can.

Yes.

Yes.

Well.

It's really it's it's
a very good question and

that has happened recently because before
where we build in time every time that

will is probably sounds like it's
the other side of the world but

it's very similar to
what happens in Mexico.

Although we cannot communicate at all
with them but read the conditions

are very very similar so that was
not like building in the other side.

Of the world.

It was only in the in the playing this
sense that that was the only thing and

that but for example now that we're
doing a building in France and

we've done several parties before and

different parts of the world that
really now we're building it.

And we encounter like the first
time this this problem.

No we're not problem of
this this thing and that.

First of all I thought it
was very important and

we get involved in the culture
I spend a lot of time there.

I spend it before so
I know I know the country.

Well but so I strike for the project.

It is a big problem is three
buildings in a in a complex and

we decided like to literally
be much more in contact there.

We had to French I could explain our
way to go already in the office.

We found that our local like it that said

there are just a final that it
didn't matter any local thing.

But just the regulations I mean in France
the regulations are so crazy that it

is the final how the spaces design
literally especially in the projects that

we're in because we're in a project that
we have housing social housing that it

really restrictive and
the claim once to me these.

All these certifications that
are kind of like a need.

So to fit geisha of France.

French certifications.

And so.

All the rules that we have to
follow are defining the design much

more than the local conditions
that the society in France and.

All that we studied there.

And that we wanted to really study and
the team.

That doesn't that didn't have any
influence on the project unfortunately

went with it.

Did I think at the end there but

much more of the regulations
that we had to follow but well.

For that as I said there
was just apprentices.

But for is to say that we really I
really think that it's very important to

understand the conditions of their society
in the context they are the place and

for that it's impossible to do it from
my mind from my background so I really

this is one of the things that I think
it's important for collaborators not only

to understand a place like we have done
that for me probably is more familiar but

also to understand a place like front
like Dion in France not so I'm not

going to be able to understand that even
if I lived there for two or three years.

It's something that it's culture
that you will that you were

born with that you that you
leave it not so this is where I

where I started to collaborate with
different people that are from there and

that they can and they can bring into
the project that kind of knowledge.

Received.

Most of the

most of.

Them.

Well I I don't know but it definitely
will leave it a little bit looser.

That's correct because I truly believe

that the architecture is
activated by the user.

And that it will happen.

Whatever needs to happen with the project
with the user now but certainly one of

the things we really like to do is first
we like to know there is a user know.

And secondly we like
to think it of it does

as I was saying as a lead
as a conversation.

So we set up the basis of
the conversation thinking on the user

in cool we are dealing with so we under
we understand the context we try to

understand because I don't think we
can ever understand it completely.

We try to understand the the persons
who are going to use it and

we try to to set up that that
the basis of the conversation like to

put the first topic of the conversation
with our architecture and

their conversation can lead us
where every IT Lee It will lead.

We don't know know and

this is how I could actually we'll
develop over time where to place a limit.

We don't control it.

We probably don't even I don't even
think of me in a way to put a limit.

No we just develop it through
through the through the process and

yeah there's some time at some point
that we allow the process to be very

permeable with the user in terms of
designing it even with the user and also

deciding how to set up the conversation
even with the user in the beginning.

So sometimes is that sometimes
we don't have these kind of

conversation with the user for
like for example in there were ten

when we were able to these to
work with some of them but

more like interviews etc not to
really work their lines with them.

No.
As for

example in the in the in
their colors of heat.

We truly the same the house.

With the with the ladies the client.

She was involved even in the selection
process of the material.

So it depends I it's it's
a very hard question.

It's a very good question.

I don't know where it is at the limit
that definitely we live with his nose

in on the project.

All.

When it's very different things.

It's a good question.

Iowa.

We always.

We always focus on very different things.

I think this is why it all the parties the
results are very different the principle

is to trying to to focus
on one one basic thing for

example as I was telling him they actually
hit cows in the house of the compactor our

main thing we had since
I met the client Wes how

are we going to meet the budget and
do a nice house to meet the budget so

the main problem creation was that so
that was the inspiration for

that house his peers and
was how to meet the budget and

for example in the Atlantic island was
how to integrate the nature with the with

the new buildings and the existing with
the new program the Botanic with the art.

So it depends.

No.
On a very probably simple thing as as

in the funeral how to bring the guy
they need to or read well or

a very profound thing or a very important
thing like the budget in the house not so

it comes from different places always and
that lead us to two different

results as you could see you know in the
techniques we use for their strategies.

I would like to just to use the word
strategy better than technique

the strategies we used to
develop probably they're.

What I've been describing too old for
the lecture not like the They use of the.

Erectness of the material the idea of

pushing the project to
good to be something else.

The idea of using the geometry and
the possibilities of

its complexities within this is you're
my tree this if I do I'm a tree.

So these things then they're
stacked it is not but

the inspiration comes from very different
currents and sometimes it is like in

the in the stacking of his second
building is this variation was with this.

Also this guy's sitting in the rain
at best and explaining their idea.

I asked what more I don't like these
titles I know I'm not sure how

about all the.

I would probably say that response
have really the I think that it's it.

I think for
me to response I really need to understand

these conditions to do
that I could actually but

I don't I would not put a label to AI
researchers say that for me is doing.

I could occur but that's the way I'd like
to do it or I think it should do it for

me for my own stand.

Welcome.

Yeah

that's a good

question at the same we feel those
purchases that we deal with the comp.

Bricks For example there
are bricks Briggs's an important

industry Mexico ceramic
we use around it as well

we're right now building a house
just in ceramic wells and

the botanical garden the next
buildings are complete pigs.

We're trying to explore on different
materials but they are all very simple and

just there five or six materials
there's not any really great because

as I was telling you still kind of
the question is really expensive

sometimes appends on the on the place for
example Mexico City.

In terms of the if you wanted to in
terms of the cost of the land and

the cost of the constructions because of
that it's an earthquake area you need to

you still so at the end that compensates
No but it depends where or for example

kind of you want to do high building and
you and do it within a budget.

You need to do you still but then still
it's very expensive still on the fence

on what side of the balance you put
it would is no question there's no

there's no wood that it's good for
construction in Mexico.

We don't have cultivated wood
it with the treated wood but

also the good bet that grows in
Mexico because of the weather.

I think is not.

I think it's because
of what it's not good.

So the other they leave us
with very little materials no.

Yes they use wood first couple them very

it's very That's one of the things
also that I didn't mention but

the scaffolding is is it's not perfect

it's not I mean it's very rough
wooded it's not a high quality wood.

So then the result.

Obviously is also because of that so
that councils are from there.

Thank you.