Project architect: Mabel Zertuche Garza
Collaborators: Nuria Zertuche Garza, Miguel Martinez Niño
Advisor: Miguel Angel Moya
M2: 320
Construction: Constructora Omnia SA de CV

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San Francisco House explores a residential urban infill architecture in a plot of land of 9x25 meters with a slope of 35%. The challenge was to maintain the structure as simple as possible to avoid the costs from escalating, so the proposal was a scheme in “C” that hugs a central patio, resulting in three main volumes with different levels that sit and rise according to what’s needed. This allows the front and back volumes to be doubly ventilated and illuminated through the depth of the plot, while the central volume contains the circulations and is the only one that is four stories high.
The frontal volume is two stories and holds the foyer, laundry, guest’s bathroom, garage and bedrooms. The back volume consists of the kitchen and dinning room and in a lower level a double living area. From the entrance level one can only go up or down one level, thus limiting long vertical movements.
Because of the steep slope and complex foundations we decided to add an extra sub level which holds a doubly connected small apartment that can be used independently or as an extra room for the house.
An open terrace with stunning views to the hill of the Obispado is located above the kitchen.