When offered the chance to renovate a heritage house in the storied Roma neighbourhood of Mexico City, Alejandro Tapia Domínguez, of the local firm MANADA Architectural Boundaries, faced a familiar dilemma: The building was too unique to demolish, but also structurally unsound and impossible to renovate on the cheap. So Domínguez opted for neither.

His design scheme, called Progressive Heritage and done in collaboration with Iván Hernández of the practice Ludens, consists of two lightweight summer homes, made of wood and galvanized steel, that sit ever so lightly on top of the original building, much as a bee perches on a flower. To reach these units, you ascend a staircase with expansive views of the old house and of a triple-height patio covered in tropical plants. When you make it to the top, it’s as if you’ve entered a Nordic cabin – an airy, modern abode built
on a historic foundation.

Project Progressive Heritage Location Mexico City, Mexico Firms MANADA Architectural Boundaries
(Mexico) and Ludens (Mexico) Team Alejandro Tapia Domínguez with Iván Hernández Quintela, Jorge Arteaga, Jorge Sánchez, Laura Domínguez, Alejandro Campos, Gabriel Martínez and Daniela García Photo Jaime Navarro