The intervention takes place in the House of Chuy, on the outskirts of Leon, Mexico. The project responds to settlements in the northern outskirts of the city, at the foot of the Sierra de Lobos, in Leon Mexico.
In a space of 18 m2, the expansion is intended to be a room attached to the existing dwelling, over the house, on the second level and only using recycled or reused products and materials.
Steel profiles that comprise the structure are 100% recycled, and the first use of all the exterior wood was the packaging of German machinery for an Italian factory factories located in the region.
Casa Chuy adopts an experimental morphology; however the concept recalls the mountain shape, in an abstract reinterpretation of it. The general function involves rest as major activity.
The construction site was started after several weeks of experimentation of both forms, and materials, and finding out the most locally suitable and available for the intended use.
Casa Chuy is a project undertaken by SHINE Architecture based on the needs of Chuy and lack of resources to implement the extension.
Most of the population that grow on this outskirts of the city, have been living in a one single room. As the family grows, the house grows along; they built by themselves the second floor, the garage, the main room. Most of the construction of the houses around the area are a DIY (Do It Yourself), meaning they are developed by the people that inhabit the same area.
Recycled Wood and Steel profiles were used. Due to context for this project, the main structure was made with 100% recycled 4" PTR steel profiles, then painted (protecting from rust), making a single unified structure. It took about 2 weeks to finish the skeleton.
The outer skin, was made with Second use Pine Wood, vertically installed, the inner is plywood.
Under the bioclimatic, buffers operate between the outer skin and the inner timber which both allow free air flow pattern giving a comfortable interior space, the volume also has a regular series of openings which allow sunscreen proper lighting and ventilation of the space, protecting the most critical guidance and opening views of the foothills of the Sierra de Lobos which is north faced.
As the construction took about 2 months to be completed.
Leon has a particular weather, reaching almost 40°C and 10% relative humidity, during the summer and 5°C during the winter.