Mexico. Francisco Pardo renovates two public spaces in suburban areas

Mexican architect Francisco Pardo completes two new public spaces in suburban districts of Almoloya de Juárez and Toluca de Lerdo. The projects were commissioned by two institutions that deal with social housing and work to fight the conditions of decay and isolation in the suburban areas of many Mexican cities. For Mexico it is a moment of great innovation in urban regeneration: in addition to the program in which Pardo’s projects are inserted, to be pointed out is the Laboratorio Para La Ciudad office in Mexico City, an institutional initiative dedicated to the creative rethinking of public spaces in dialogue with civil society.

Completed in just six months, the projects by Francisco Pardo Arquitectos were built with the support of local communities, using low-cost materials and elementary construction techniques. In Almoloya de Juárez, the renovation of the Colinas del Sol park follows the needs and habits of the various users of the public space, with the aim of encouraging integration between the various social groups. The site has been divided into four thematic areas featuring playgrounds, skate ramps, shaded areas and public pavilions that allow different events to take place. The recovery of the Parque Los Héroes of Toluca de Lerdo uses a unique module to redo the flooring. The new intervention consists of hexagonal cobblestones which, like pixels, modify the topography and generate a flexible space.

According to the architect, “It is important to change not only the physical condition but also the perception of the space: as a designer, I believe that supporting local communities to achieve better public spaces for their families helps the greater community”.