Emergence: Mechanisms for Adaptive Reuse in Mexico City

Expand view for photograph A collage showing a city map with highlighted areas, a concept matrix diagram, informal movement diagrams, and black-and-white street market photos with people and stalls.

Expand view for photograph Isometric architectural drawing of a two-story interior space with stairs, walkways, figures, and trees, joined by detailed section views and diagrams illustrating vertical circulation and emergence systems.

Expand view for photograph Architectural drawing showing sectional and elevation views of a two-story building with red and brown accents, staircases, trees on rooftops, and furnished interior rooms.

Expand view for photograph An axonometric architectural drawing showing an exploded view of a multi-level building. Red lines highlight specific structural elements, with dashed lines indicating floor levels and the site context shown in light grey.

Expand view for photograph Three architectural floor plans stacked vertically, each showing detailed room layouts and corridors in a large L-shaped building, with symbols, labels, and directional arrows for navigation and orientation.

Expand view for photograph In this architectural rendering, people walk and children play in a spacious, modern courtyard with red metal structures, open walkways, and greenery, surrounded by brick and glass buildings. Sunlight filters through the perforated red panels above.

Expand view for photograph In this rendering, two adults walk through a courtyard with bright red metal walkways and panels. A person sits on the left, a child runs on the right, and trees and plants add greenery to the modern architectural space.

Expand view for photograph In this rendering, two people sit and talk at a picnic table in a modern outdoor courtyard. There's red flooring and railings, string lights overhead, and plants in the background. One person is blurred walking nearby.

Expand view for photograph In this rendering, a man stands on a red balcony decorated with green vines and lattice panels. He's in front of a red building with checkered patterns and potted plants, under partially shaded sunlight.

Expand view for photograph Digital rendering of a cozy room with wooden walls, a bookshelf, and chairs. A woman sits on a sofa reading. There’s a potted plant and a glass door opens to a red-tiled outdoor area. Warm lighting fills the space.

Expand view for photograph A wooden architectural model shows a cross-section of a building with black-framed rooms on the left and red balconies, stairs, and railings on the right, populated with small white human figures.

Expand view for photograph Architectural model featuring red lattice structures and beige walls, with small white figurines seated and standing outside a building, suggesting a communal or social space. The perspective is from ground level.

Expand view for photograph A detailed architectural model features red lattice balconies and walkways with small white figurines representing people, set against a background of light wood walls and floors, illustrating a multi-level indoor space.

Expand view for photograph A close-up view of an architectural model features red perforated surfaces, beige wooden walls, a small open doorway in back, and tiny white model figures. Some white dried flowers are in the lower right foreground.

Expand view for photograph A white plastic figurine stands on a red grid platform, facing a red railing. More small figurines are visible in the background on similar platforms with wooden walls. The scene resembles an architectural model.

Mexico City’s tianguis markets emerge both architecturally and as a response to community needs, adapting to existing infrastructure and creating a set of unique spatial and social conditions. Inspired by the transient and fixed forms, informal movement patterns and user interaction within the tianguis, Emergence proposes an adaptive mechanism to address reuse and user needs over time in a mixed-use housing development sited in the historic Edificio Gaona. The intervention allows users to interact and reclaim public space within the historic structure, while creating opportunities for affordability and privacy within and between units.

2023-2024 Design Excellence Award Winner

Maggie Conyngham, Kaylee Turner, & Jess Wilsey
Advanced Studio
Instructor: Ashley Heeren

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A collage showing a city map with highlighted areas, a concept matrix diagram, informal movement diagrams, and black-and-white street market photos with people and stalls.