A Roof for Gaby | COTAPAREDES Arquitectos

Zapopan, Jalisco, México. Zapopan / Mexico / 2022

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The project emerges from the need of a female head of family to change the asbestos sheets on the roof of her house.


Mrs. Gabriela is part of the COTAPAREDES Architects team, in the cleaning and maintenance area, and one day she asked us about how to change her sheets since they had not been replaced since the construction of the house (more than 40 years ago).


We made a visit, in which we realized the real situation. The whole house was covered with asbestos sheets (carcinogenic), that produced a great amount of heat inside; concrete slabs damaged by moisture and a height with only two meters from floor to ceiling. The house had three rooms without any natural lighting and ventilation. The kitchen cover was made of galvanized sheet. The walls of the entire house were damaged by humidity and water leaks, the floors were beginning to detach due to the growth of a tree’s roots mistakenly planted near the entrance, or a poorly planned extension.


All the users shared a single bathroom, all due to not having a plumbing system. The family bathed with buckets of water from a well located in front of the kitchen.


After the visit we were thinking about how we could be of any help.


If we only changed the sheets for new ones, this would not be enough to improve the life quality of the family. So, after a lot of thinking we imagined a way in which the office of COTAPAREDES Arquitectos would finance the work to replace the sheets for solid slabs.


The main challenge was to design the new slabs so that they would allow the passage of ventilation and natural lighting, so we thought of a slab system shaped as a saw, offsetting the height and inclination. This solution did not convinced Gaby, both aesthetically and functionally, since it would create a problem in the evacuation of rainwater. It was at this moment that we realized that a major intervention would be necessary to thoroughly correct the housing problems.


We proposed a new scheme in which all the slabs would be flat.


We created a courtyard that articulated the children's bedrooms to achieve natural lighting and ventilation. We added a new reception-living room space to provide access to the rooms and kitchen from inside the house. In addition, a private bathroom was added to the main bedroom.


The design process was elaborated considering the opinions, needs and aspirations of Gaby and her family. We carried out project reviews that were documented on video.


Supported by the Cantilever Structures engineers, directed by the engineer Félix Trejo. An inspection was carried out where we analyzed the integrity of the structural elements of the house, revealing that it did not have castles, or any reinforced columns or footings.


Therefore, it was proposed to rescue walls and slabs in good condition, seeking savings and the use of site’s resources.


We respected the location of the kitchen, as well as a diagonal wall that responds to the location of a water well, we aligned the axes of the house, and replaced all the tin roofs with prestressed concrete joist slabs and high-density polystyrene vaults. It was decided to rescue the slab of the main bedroom, since it was the only functional one.


When the work began, we realized that neighbors’ drains converged under the house. Due to this, we decided to change the entire hydro-sanitary installation, so it would not have saturation problems in the future.


The project was too ambitious for us by ourselves, so we imagined that it would be possible to finance it by generating audiovisual content monetized through digital platforms, mainly YouTube and Facebook, becoming a long-term sustainable project; but it was not like that.


Looking for support, we invited national companies to collaborate in the project by providing construction materials in exchange for publicity on social networks, and it was a very satisfying surprise to realize that many companies decided to support Gabriela's project.


That is why, we must punctually thank each one of them, since without their support this project would not have been possible:


Cantilever Estructuras - advice, site visits and structural design.
Grupo pétreo - prestressed concrete joists,
Klimaka arquitectura - rubble and material removal,
Fester - waterproofing material and advice,
El bolsón enterprise - cement and mortar,
Solo cocinas Gallery- full kitchen project
Rotoplas - hydraulic line in tuboplus as well as biodigester with tank and purifier
Cerraduras Inteligentes Daki - smart lock,
Cocinas Heber - bathroom furniture and sinks
SI constructora - sand and aggregate trips
Adhestone - adhesive for installation of floors and ceramic blues if as the labor of the installation
Desagües Europeos – bathroom’s cespol


Thanks to this project we came to the realization that good architecture is more necessary in the humblest homes. That the most ecological thing to do is not to build anything from scratch, and that by working together great changes can be achieved.


If, as architects, we focus on improving the existing homes of the population, we will cause less impact on the planet and at the same time, we will improve the lives of millions of families who can’t access a new home.


 

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    The project emerges from the need of a female head of family to change the asbestos sheets on the roof of her house. Mrs. Gabriela is part of the COTAPAREDES Architects team, in the cleaning and maintenance area, and one day she asked us about how to change her sheets since they had not been replaced since the construction of the house (more than 40 years ago). We made a visit, in which we realized the real situation. The whole house was covered with asbestos sheets (carcinogenic), that...

    Project details
    • Year 2022
    • Work started in 2022
    • Work finished in 2022
    • Main structure Mixed structure
    • Contractor Cotaparedes Arquitectos
    • Status Completed works
    • Type Social Housing
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