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HKS Mexico City

Julie Hutchison & Jorge Bracho Marzal

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Biophilic design scales from a desk plant to a live wall.  To inspire healthy habits, an awareness and commitment to change starts with an empathetic relationship with living ecosystems.  Community members are the lifeline to a city with the power to mediate a relationship between the built and natural environment. - Rafael Gamo   [https://rafaelgamo.com/]
The first impression immediately connects visitors to biophilia and team collaboration.  Although not a client experience center, this office invites curiosity to learn more about the work this firm is doing in service of the AIA 2030 actionable climate strategy for reaching net zero emissions in the built environment. - Rafael Gamo   [https://rafaelgamo.com/]
The honesty of materials such as FSC wood and concrete offer natural finishes that contrast warm and cool tones. Recycled content in fibers bring in gray tones balanced out with low VOC bright white paint and frosted glass.  Client work and local artists offer narrative content and color. - Rafael Gamo   [https://rafaelgamo.com/]
Biophilic design scales from a desk plant to a live wall.  To inspire healthy habits, an awareness and commitment to change starts with an empathetic relationship with living ecosystems.  Community members are the lifeline to a city with the power to mediate a relationship between the built and natural environment. - Rafael Gamo   [https://rafaelgamo.com/]

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Sponsor
Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Small Office
6.34
7.05
6.58
6.77
6.69
Arthur Guimarães
Arthur Guimarães Chief Executive Officer at Arthur Guimarães Architects
From my perspective, the aspect tha...
7
8.5
7
7.5
7.5
Wenqing Zhou
Wenqing Zhou Founder at Add Culture & Creative Development
8
8
8
8
8
Mark Eric Magno
Mark Eric Magno Principal at Aedas Interiors
I love how they blurred the outdoor...
6
7.5
6
8.5
7
Josse Popma
Josse Popma Partner at Popma ter Steege Architects
Great space and way of handling wit...
6
7
7
3
5.75
Serhii Makhno
Serhii Makhno Founder at MAKHNO Studio
7
6
8
7
7
Jessica Adkins
Jessica Adkins Brand Experience Design Lead Europe at M Moser Associates
6
7
7
7
6.75
Xuechen Chen
Xuechen Chen Architectural Designer at X.C Studio
7
7.5
7.5
7
7.25
Zizhao Li
Zizhao Li Cofounder and Chief Designer at DSC · Design
5
6.5
5
7
5.88
Burton Baldridge
Burton Baldridge Founder at Baldridge Architects
I am taking your word for it on sus...
7
7
7
9
7.5
Mike McGirr
Mike McGirr Managing Partner and Design Principal at red design
5.94
7.2
6.39
8.36
6.97
Pooja Shah-Mulani
Pooja Shah-Mulani Partner and Design Director at LW Design
6
7
5
5
5.75
Katie Mitchell
Katie Mitchell Managing Director at Seen Studios
6
8
6
7
6.75
Suvi Saloniemi
Suvi Saloniemi Head of Exhibitions at Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design Museum
5
5
5
5
5
Harkaran Singh Boparai
Harkaran Singh Boparai Founder at Space 5
7
8
7.5
7.5
7.5
Yan Zhang
Yan Zhang Cofounder at say architects
5.78
5.98
6.09
6.3
6.04
Anna Gitelman
Anna Gitelman Associate Professor at Suffolk University
A thoughtful approach to a workplac...
6.5
7
7
7
6.88
Jianan Shan
Jianan Shan Cofounder at say architects
6.61
6.71
6.3
5
6.16
Client
HKS Inc.
Floor area
664 ㎡
Completion
2023
Budget
$2.0M
Social Media
Linkedin
Finishes
Finishes
Finishes

With a focus on designing an innovative showcase workspace that embodies HKS’ ongoing commitment to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles, the challenge lies in seamlessly integrating an open outdoor space within the HKS Mexico City office. This space must not only enhance the work environment for employees but also serve as an educational hub for clients on environmental stewardship. Moreover, it should foster collaboration with partners, facilitate networking opportunities and maintain the firm’s influence on local communities, all while supporting the ability to attract and retain top talent.

The design team was challenged to create a meaningful creative experience that builds values and actions to change architectural structures into breathing buildings that evoke the ¬values and passions of its occupants. The commitment to protect the planet starts with a personal relationship with nature that grows into a pursuit towards sustainable practices for built environments. To be creative, humans have evolved as part of nature, yet many urban environments are growing rapidly without a focus on biophilic partnerships. The entire floorplan is dedicated to the occupant’s comfort and satisfaction through feeling more connected to natural materials, circadian rhythms, and cycles of time and seasons.

The core values of this office design showcase sustainable breathable building strategies through thoughtful HVAC air ventilation systems, biodiverse landscapes, and biophilic green spaces. From the outdoor expansive live wall to the desk plant, this office engages an awareness in this community of fellow humans to live a more carbon neutral existence. In-take air flow keeps the building filtered from unhealthy contaminates. Synthetic material specifications like plastic laminates and nylon carpets were minimized, giving room for natural surfaces to symbolically communicate age, natural origin, and craft. For example, floors made of concrete speak to stone pebbles and dirt eroded from distant geological stone origins. Wood existed in nature as a growing tree is now an architectural artifact crafted by the hand of an artisan, carpenter, or cabinetmaker.

Sustainable progress is also intentional from a functional perspective. This office uses seamless technology and cloud based digital platforms to support flexible working anywhere anytime. The role of the office is no longer a container that is underutilized. Using a smaller footprint and digital equity, it accesses multisector and multigenerational global talent pools and brings them to the local community. This office now has a creative culture that encourages employees to transition from indoors to the outdoor patio throughout the day. The occupant’s feelings and moods, which affect their output, are taken into consideration. The resulting culture shift provides a positive and satisfying experience for team to find the space they need to be their most creative.