Project implementation: Mexico
Project development: Mexico
This project is a public washhouse designed to address the water crisis that the community of La Huerta de San Agustín has suffered in recent years. The aim was to design a dignified space, expanding the current work area and respecting the water source from a nearby natural spring.
The students were tasked with developing a collaborative assessment to understand the community's needs and demands through a series of interactive activities, which led to an architectural program. This program includes the laundry room itself with an attached playground, where children can spend time under the watchful eye of their mothers; along with this, there is an area for hanging clothes and a multipurpose rest area that offers views of the nearby rainwater harvesting area.
After several months of work, the students presented their projects to the community, who voted on their favorite design. The winning project was inspired by water lilies, natural biofilters, for the structure, given the project's connection to water and the surrounding natural environment. Each space is built on its own individual wooden structure, supported by a central column where the roof acts as a funnel that collects water and carries it to a cistern. This water is then used by people to wash their clothes and is then directed to a biofilter that cleans it, allowing it to be reused. Each material was chosen taking into account availability, ease of construction, environmental impact, and budget, which depends on donations from those willing to support the cause. This ongoing project represents the efforts of countless people, from teachers to students to the community itself, showing how their combined efforts can lead to something that goes even further than just themselves.