Housing Development in Monterrey

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Helsinki University of Technology | Diplomityö
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Date
2007
Major/Subject
Arkkitehtuuri II
Mcode
A-52
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
19
Series
Abstract
Monterrey is a city in the Northeast of Mexico. It was founded in the year 1596 and until the mid 1800s it had not developed as much as other Mexican cities. This was mainly due to its lack of natural resources, arable land, and geographical position. On the other hand, this isolation kept it relatively safe from the conflicts that arose in the rest of the country. When the Industrial Revolution reached Mexico, it found fertile ground in Monterrey. Since the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), the city had turned into a successful trade town, thanks to its closeness with the border. Many factories and other commercial enterprises saw an opportunity and established themselves there. The city began to thrive and a direct consequence was the heavy immigration that from 1900 to 1952 had increased the population by 580%. The housing typology that became common in all the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey (AMM) was the single family house. Each year new housing areas of this type are built in the outskirts of the city, stretching its limits farther from the nuclei of work. These low and dense sectors have a negative impact in the distribution or resources and efficiency of the infrastructure. Furthermore, they have reached the natural reserves located on the mountain regions. This thesis proposes a housing area with a higher density that the existing average. To this effect, a site has been selected on the outskirts of the municipality of Monterrey, along a very important avenue that comprises a variety of commercial uses. The prevailing housing model is the single family house. Adjacent to the site are high income housing developments with the same typology. The site is developed through a simple strategy that adapts to the conditions of zoning and topography. Then, a specific plot is selected for further development. In this plot or study area, a mixed use development of high density values has been proposed. A commercial area facing the intersection of avenues is left undeveloped for the focus of interest lies in the housing area. This consists of apartments for singles, couples and small families, with one or two bedrooms. The buildings are arranged around three inner courtyards, each one with different character and in different level, a characteristic given by the topography. Circulation within each building is left open, as it is common in Mexico and parking areas are placed in three underground levels. Finally, there are indoor and outdoor common areas for service and recreational activities.
Description
Supervisor
Huttunen, Hannu
Keywords
housing, design, Monterrey
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