The San Ángel neighborhood, located in the southern part of Mexico City, is renowned for its timeless beauty, narrow cobblestone streets, and rich collection of neo-colonial architecture. Originally a town on the outskirts of the old city, San Ángel became a preferred retreat for affluent landowners during colonial times. Here, they built their haciendas—traditional courtyard-centered estates that organized the architectural program inward, around serene open-air patios reminiscent of European cloisters.

Inspired by this architectural heritage, we designed a low-rise apartment building that respectfully integrates into its historic surroundings. Our proposal reinterprets the hacienda typology, placing apartments around a central courtyard garden that serves as both a visual anchor and a shared green refuge for residents. This inward-facing scheme not only honors the original urban fabric of San Ángel but also provides privacy, tranquility, and a strong sense of community.

The building’s façade rhythm is defined by a contemporary interpretation of vernacular elements: framed windows, artisanal iron railings, and warm, tactile materials reflect the neighborhood’s character while expressing a modern architectural language. The structure avoids pastiche, instead choosing to celebrate history through abstraction, material honesty, and proportion.

Above, the rooftop is transformed into a continuous garden loop, creating a unique amenity that encourages connection among residents. Designed as an elevated promenade, this space invites people to walk, rest, and interact as they would in a park—offering expansive views, shaded seating, and native landscaping that echo the gardens below.

This project is not simply a building; it is a dialogue between past and present, where memory and modernity coexist harmoniously to create an architecture that feels both rooted and renewed.