Living The Gardens | sanzpont [arquitectura] | World Design Awards 2022

sanzpont [arquitectura]: Winner of World Design Awards 2022. Living The Gardens development is a complex of 9 villas located in Cancun, Mexico. The main objective was to create dwellings with an innovative design but with a local architectural sensation where families can enjoy harmony and create a strong social fabric integrated in a natural environment.

The project promotes healthier lifestyles within its inhabitants by offering Wellness amenities such as a yoga deck, outdoor fitness area, picnic and vegetable garden, pool, art corridor, massage tepees, social relax tepees, playground and pet-friendly area. It also promotes the reduction of the use of resources, economic savings and a more sustainable housing product through passive and bioclimatic design. The first step is to make a climate analysis. A research on the local climate in Cancun and the specific microclimate where the building is located had to be made.  And a specialized software was used to analyze each one of the facades to give the best response to the wind, sunlight, and other climate factors.

In the region, the climate is warm and humid with an average annual temperature between 28º C and 32º C (82º F and 90º F) in summer, and from 26º C to 27º C (78º F and 80º F) in winter. Due to these characteristics, the project implements the following strategies:

Solar protection

Solar protection is a requirement for energy efficiency in most climates, but in hot climates like the one where Living The Gardens is to be built, it is essential. The project is protected from solar incidence with native vegetation, the volumetry of the building itself and wooden louvers located in the south façade, where the solar incidence is more intense.

Cross-Ventilation

Knowing that the dominant winds in Cancun come from the Southeast, it was decided to design the volumetry of the project in a way that ensures a constant natural cross-ventilation. This makes it possible to substitute the air-conditioning for fresh outside air, at least during most of the year. At the same time, this helps to reduce the energetic consumption related to air-conditioning, helping the family economy and the environment.

Vegetation

The use of native vegetation in a great percentage of the unbuilt part of the land creates a microclimate that reduces the thermal sensation in general and, as mentioned before, reduces the solar insulation. Featuring also, new vegetation areas integrated with the architectural design.

Living The Gardens is a real estate development that integrates the economic vision of real estate development but achieves to offer a housing product that gives more importance to the physical, emotional and social health of the users while respecting the environment.

Project Details
Firm

sanzpont [arquitectura]

Architect/Designer          
Sergio and Victor Sanz Pont

Project Name
Living The Gardens

World Design Awards Category
Housing Concept – Small Family Residence

Project Location
Cancun

Project Team   
Victor y Sergio Sanz Pont, Ana Cristina Avilés, José Rodríguez, Erik Pacheco & Bernardo Ortiz

Country
Mexico

Photography ©Credit
©sanzpont [arquitectura]

Sanzpont [arquitectura]: Victor and Sergio Sanz Pont, twin brothers and co-founders of sanzpont [arquitectura], with offices in Barcelona, Cancun, and Chicago. They see architecture as functional art that has to adapt to the site throughout BIOCLIMATIC. With several international awards, their design philosophy is based on a constant search for innovation, creativity, and showing great respect for the environment.

Álvaro Licona, is partner and co-founder of Sanzpont USA, in Chicago. Also, the co-founder of a real estate company specialized in developing contemporary spaces in Mexico City aimed to provide a meaningful experience, creating customer-appropriate solutions while maintaining the natural and built environment.