Holcim Awards 2021/22

Sustainability is of paramount importance in construction

Hydropuncture in Mexico

Publicly-accessible water retention and treatment complex

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    Global finalist entry 2018 – Hydropuncture

    Located on the hillside of Sierra Santa Catarina, the site directly serves 28,000 inhabitants in urgent need of recreational spaces and water. By removing the borders and placing a transparent permeable fence, the place becomes a sustainable water management landmark located in an important crossroads. It fosters street life by adopting Paraíso Street and turning it into a shared mobility thoroughfare with commerce, reducing crime in what the community detected as the most dangerous street in the area.

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    Global LafargeHolcim Awards 2018 prize handover

    Congratulating the Global LafargeHolcim Awards Gold 2018 winners (l-r): Rodolfo Montero, CEO of Holcim Mexico; winners Loreta Castro Reguera, Taller Capital and Manuel Perló, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM); with members of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation Roland Köhler, Enrique Norten, and Maria Atkinson

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    Global LafargeHolcim Awards Gold 2018 – Site Visit, Mexico City

    The local government is pushing for the publicly accessible water park project to be completed soon.

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    Global finalist entry 2018 – Hydropuncture

    The rainwater mirror lies at the center of the park. This venue is intended to transform from dry-scape to waterscape along the year.

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    Global LafargeHolcim Awards Gold 2018 – Site Visit, Mexico City

    The water treatment basins are ready, the buildings and landscaping to complete the section are still ongoing.

To speak about the materials of construction, as a designer, is to take into account the context of the materials. Starting with history: it’s been said that if you want to look far into the future, first look far into the past. History is inseparable from place. Sustainability, similarly, is inseparable from nature.

Last updated: September 30, 2020 Berlin, Germany

By Manuel Perlo, Loreta castro Reguera and

Ideas: Green architecture · Circular economy · Sustainable engineering · Innovation and transferability · Social inclusion · Resource management · Economic viability · Architectural quality

Hydropuncture in Mexico

Authors and team members

Sustainability Statements

Balancing regional infrastructure with ecology and local urban life

This project recovers Charlesgate for people and natural systems after it was enshadowed and fractured by elevated roads for a generation. Pathways are designed to double-function for equipment access (lift and vacuum trucks) for viaduct maintenance and repair. Rain-gardens in recreation areas treat roadway runoff, store floodwater and create pollinator habitat. The rivers edge is reshaped to protect from floods, and also provide public access and riparian species habitat. The design utilizes standard material palettes of the involved public agencies (transportation, parks and water) in unexpected ways to allow for easy co-maintenance. By integrating considerations of infrastructure, natural systems and public realm, there is sustainability through shared use, maintenance and investment.