Giacopello Rooftop

The project is part of an intervention made by more than 20 designers, architects and landscapers at the Giacopello House, a XIXth century house in the City of Puebla, Mexico. The space assigned to us was the rooftop, an “empty” space, where the only presence was the rear of the attic. Formed by three timber vaults shipped directly from France in the XIXth century, this space decorates the upper part of the facade on the front and was used for service and storage. The pavilion is a re-interpretation (conceptual abstraction) of these old architectural elements as a Roof Garden. It gives the rooftop a new use as an extension of the house. The new space is organized by three platforms linked with a lightweight structure, as the existing French attic links the three timber vaults. The platforms where lift over steel beams to avoid excessive weight on the old timber-beamed slab. The light structure was made with 35mm x 35mm timber purlins and 25mm galvanized steel tubes normally used for electrical services. Cladding varies to shade with different daylight effects: white canvas, transparent polycarbonate corrugated sheets, and climbing plants where used to cover the structure, all low–cost, easy to find materials. The upper part of the structure has three PV panels to power the artificial lighting hiding in the structure, this way new technologies are part of the architectural aesthetic instead of being hidden or avoided.