The project was born from the need to promote and develop the reconstruction of the town of Jojutla, Morelos, which was seriously affected during the earthquake on September 19, 2017. The approach is to generate a regenerative impact in the local community, since the construction methods used are very economical, anti-seismic, ecologically sustainable and quick to build. Starting from integrating the community in the design and construction process, knowledge is shared in order to empower people in their current circumstances. Pablo Córdoba’s house arises from a young engineer´s vision of having a better life. The design process was based on a pre-existing foundation and the client’s main ideas, a conjunction between Pablo’s vision and our proposals regarding how to make the best use of space and resources in the area.
The house is open to the west, so that the smoke from the cane fields is kept behind the building. On the east façade, small openings and straw bale walls are kept to avoid solar radiation in the morning, in the case of the main façade to the east, a curtain of trees filters the light in the afternoon. The windows allow cross ventilation and in the case of the living/dining room the space can be opened to the portico to give freshness and spaciousness to the interior. The roof is designed in the shape of a butterfly for the collection and reuse of rainwater. The use of construction with straw bale walls is very convenient for the community of Jojutla, since it is a construction system that is highly resistant to earthquakes, as well as being a thermal insulator in such a hot climate. The construction method consists of stacking the straw bales as overlapping courses, joined with rods traversed every three bales in height, with the first casting within the template. On the last row (5th row) wooden planks are placed tand strapped through the PVC tubes, compressing the straw bales. In the case of Pablo´s House, the structure itself consists of concrete columns and beams, stiffening the construction in the event of earthquakes.