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UDAD Awards 2019

Winner – Meet Point | sanzpont arquitectura

Residencial Cumbres is one of the most successful housing developments in Cancun, located in a commercial area between the airport and the city center. In addition to the neighborhood’s steady growth, the complex offers various amenities to its residents, such as service and commercial areas and an important urban corridor for its users.

GFDA-2020

Winner – Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2019
Firm | Sanzpont Arquitectura
Category | Commercial (Built)

Team | Sophia Martínez, Ali Jossafat, Johan Velasco, Uriel Mena Cecilia Pablo, Eder Hernandez, José Rodriguez, Ana Avilés, Valeria Gómez , Victor y Sergio Sanz Pont, Alvaro Licona
Country | United States 

Our proposal goes beyond any initiative, by promoting the expansion of public space through a pedestrian plaza, and by complying with land occupation guidelines, the building is set back from the sidewalk as much as possible, expanding the public space to create a city.

Functionality: The project had to accommodate the typical commercial storefront layout, rectangular and in battery. In order to avoid one of the most common problems in commercial centers, the lack of interest and desire to access the upper floors, it was decided to give prominence to the escalators and place them in the center as a focal point, providing greater accessibility to the users. Continuous walkways propose various routes to access the three different levels, reaching urban terraces which are oriented toward the dominant winds. To complement the commercial area, there is a different volume containing the corporate office spaces. This volume has a different function and language than the first, generating a “glass box” structure typical of corporate buildings. The spaces are more private and conducive to offices. Internal circulations have high efficiency causing the rented space to be more cost effective. Rental spaces for modular “self service” offices to be rented and subdivided according to the needs of each company.

Public space: One of the main design goals for this building was to return as much usable public space as possible to the community and to promote interaction between its inhabitants. In extreme climates such as Cancun, creating functional outdoor space can be an issue, but this was addressed by the large overhang that provides solar protection to the building and creates a shaded recreational area.

Formal Concept and Building Challenges: The concept of Meet Point was born from the need to have a great space that provides shaded urban terraces underneath a grand overhang, which became a focal point of the building design. These large terraces are only further enhanced by the pedestrian pathways that zigzag through the built volumes, while escalators enhance the connection between the different levels, creating a functional, fluid and dynamic user experience. At the same time, it was important to differentiate the corporate offices from the commercial space, which was achieved by creating a volume with a glass facade, constructed from triangular glass panels, lending itself to an overall dynamic, avant-garde design.

In this case, it was imperative to effectively utilize 3D BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology to develop all design and construction documents, allowing the team to fabricate digital models and collaborate across all disciplines, effectively avoiding construction errors. Another great challenge was the execution of the metal structure, due to its inclined columns and angled joints. This was addressed by designing, manufacturing and cutting the pieces digitally, then assembling them on site using screws. The other major challenge was the angled glass facade of the corporate office area, which was also solved by digitally designing, fabricating and manufacturing the parts.