The architecture of Valle de Bravo is full of tradition can be seen in the streets surrounded by houses and buildings dating from the colonial era. The town maintains a consistent colonial style with tile roofs gabled, whitewashed walls and slabs of clay used as a floor. The main feature of this project is its successful integration with the urban context using local materials such as stone, wood and concrete. The project consists of an inverted gable roof which serves to capture the rainwater and reuse it for local services and the washing of motorcycles making this a self-sustaining green building.
On the outside it appears as a great showcase for display of vehicles, where it crosses a rectangle of floating concrete that doesn´t touch one side of the structure bound by two beams covered in wood. The exterior facade of glass plays with the reflections of what happens on the outside and joins with a mound of grass and stones that serves as exhibition, which is topped with a stone wall that was recovered from the streets surrounding the premises. The lightness of the roof is given by the multi panel which is covered with natural wood from the region to which was applied a natural sealant.
On the inside passes an Irving maintenance grid that gives way to the motorcycles, this grid fulfills a dual role, at night it becomes the lighting, due to be painted with blue epoxy paint, the room illuminates with a dim blue light, giving the importance to the passage and delivery of vehicles through indirect lighting, it is achieved by giving the final touch of a building that fits the Valle de Bravo environment, where lighting plays by painting timber of warm colors in the night. Natural light plays an important role thanks to the orientation and the domes located in the multi panel as well as front and rear windows nullify the use of artificial light during the day.
This work is characterized by its low environmental impact using strategies such as the reuse of existing structures, good connectivity to transit systems, energy conservation and water use of environmentally friendly building materials and a design that allows for good indoor air quality.
Environmental issues involved the incorporation of climate variables (solar radiation and natural light, humidity and wind, insulation and thermal inertia) and geographical factors to define a project's character as a cultural element.
