On October 1, 2022, the winners of the XVII National Biennial of Mexican Architecture were announced, and Casa Emilio Dondé 7 took home an Honorable Mention in the category D3. Conservation of Built Cultural Heritage and its Surroundings, alongside Círculo Mexicano and the Renovation of the Historic Center of San Lucas Xoloc. The project was carried out by ReUrbano together with architect Andrea Vázquez Bracho Hidalgo, founder of Somos Acha, and Juan Bautista Carral O'Gorman of JC Arquitectura, winner of the Abraham Zabludovsky Prize for the best thesis of the year. Both have devoted their careers to restoring heritage buildings and constructing housing.
The recognition matters because the Biennial — convened by the Federation of Architects' Colleges of the Mexican Republic A.C. — identifies the best sustainable, inclusive, and accessible architectural projects, in line with the goals of our common home set out in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focused on improving urban planning and, with it, people's quality of life.
Casa Emilio Dondé 7 seeks not only to recover the building — listed by INAH, INBA, and SEDUVI for its historical and architectural value — but to foster the reintegration and rehabilitation of the surrounding social and cultural environment, breathing new life into a structure dating from around 1860, which had fallen into severe disrepair after decades of neglect, despite being the only surviving period building on its avenue.
The building was originally a three-story townhouse intended for a single family. After being abandoned and amid changes in the social and cultural context, the decision was made to transform it into a mixed-use building that would integrate fluidly into the urban life of the Ciudadela district. After reorganizing the spaces and expanding the top level, it now contains 37 residential units and 9 commercial spaces, plus three patios and two shared terraces.
The structure and foundations were reinforced; the installations were fully renewed (including a rainwater collection system for later use); the main staircase was extended (to access the new level); and the main façade, mixed-masonry walls, brick frames, original stone, beam ceilings, Catalan vaults, railings, and ironwork columns were all restored. The columns and horizontal eaves complement the historic building while expressing a contemporary character. Stuccos and matte materials were preferred to convey continuity between past and present.
The driving idea, according to Andrea Vázquez Bracho Hidalgo, goes beyond recovering the original architecture: the goal is to conceive something new that converses harmoniously with the original building and its surroundings, with mobility, and with the people who inhabit it — creating an optimal and pleasant environment for everyone, without losing sight of the building's unique architectural and historic value.
Learn more about this one-of-a-kind development at https://casaemiliodonde7.reurbano.mx/.
