Home and Studio Ana by Vrtical in Mexico City

Project: Home and Studio Ana
Architects: Vrtical
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Area: 192 sqm
Year: 2022
Photography: Oscar Hernandez

Home and Studio Ana by Vrtical in Mexico City

The Home and Studio Ana, designed by Vrtical in Mexico City, represents a unique project combining elements of various architectural styles. On the first floor, load-bearing walls were replaced with steel columns and flexible gates were created to connect the space with small natural oases. The upper level retained original elements such as painted bathrooms and skylights, while the facade was modified to achieve symmetry. This home, used for short stays throughout the year, serves as a sanctuary and workspace for an architect-author, evoking memories of a specific time in the history of Mexico City. It is a testament to the project's ability to blend modernity with references to the past.

The original language of this home, at first glance, does not fit into any defined trend, but its appearance seems to belong to the time and social class that settled in the College of Education neighborhood in the 1960s.

The project emerged from the opportunity to reconstruct the entire first floor, a surgical removal of three load-bearing walls and their replacement with cruciform steel columns and beams. These elements became the foundation for new spaces on the first floor and terrace. We created very flexible gates, turning the garage and backyard into small natural oases that connect the first floor and thus change how it is used. The upper level was also modernized, some elements of which recall the original state, such as painted bathrooms. The charming idea of creating spaces on the upper floor through skylights was also realized, some being introspective with atmospheric references such as the golden staircase skylight or the main bedroom window. Small but significant changes were proposed in the arrangement and size of existing openings on the facade, aiming for new symmetry and proportions almost written into the original project, all underscored by a cohesive façade color palette.

Currently used for short stays throughout the year, this home serves as a base for an architect-author and thus functions as a kind of sanctuary/workspace, evoking memories of space and time in Mexico City.

–Vrtical