Getting High Design from a Low-Tech Approach

Eschewing complex forms and technology, socially minded architects rely on age-old building techniques to create modern marvels
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From Architectural Record
Josephine Minutillo

A particularly oversize gutter on the west side also collects runoff from the sloping, trussed roof over the plaza, which consists only of a polycarbonate sheet less than 1⁄2 inch thick. The main roof is composed of a sandwiched metal deck, whose inner glass-fiber layer helps buffer the sound of falling raindrops.

 

To conform to seismic regulations in this earthquake-prone region, foundations were dug 6.5 feet deep (left). Stones collected from nearby rivers are encased in PVC-coated wire (below left). The west facade is composed of panels of sticklike pieces of pine arranged in a slanted pattern (below right).

Photo © Alejandro Piñol/Mariana Bonilla

 

1. Outdoor plaza
2. Theater
3. Circulation

 

The alternating slopes of the main roof provide other benefits, as well. The raised, east-facing portions over second-floor stacks and reading areas are glazed to admit daylight. These areas also aid natural ventilation by drawing hot air up and out of the building more readily. "We wanted the building to be fresh and authentic, not a showoff," Piñol recalls. "We designed it in the most honest and direct manner we knew how.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in October 2008

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