The Architecture of Circular Courtyards in Mexico
One of the most important factors when designing is the specific climate of the site. This can be a difficulty when dealing with extreme climates and it is necessary to use insulating materials that adapt to the changing conditions. However, when talking about Mexico and its particular climate this works in the architects’ favor allowing them to create microclimates and spaces that blur the transition of what turns out to be indoors and outdoors.
Patios have become a traditional design element and the psychological effects they produce are important to be taken up again in future designs because they are the meeting place between the interior and the exterior, the common and the private. It is a way to bring the sun and the rain inside the house, to open the chance to other trajectories and coexistence that do not happen entirely in interior spaces. However, in recent years we have experienced a trend in contemporary architecture that seeks to generate circular patios or circular openings, becoming an element that can generate very interesting shadows according to the position of the sun at different times of the day.
Here is a selection of projects in Mexico that use these elements in different scales with their respective planimetry; some of these examples choose to draw a circular plan to make it the center of the project itself and others generate this geometric figure from resources such as openings or roofs that provide a little more freedom when placing the spaces. From ephemeral forums to infrastructure buildings, this selection will inspire you to rethink your next design.
Circular floorplans
Circular spans
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