The Saqqara mixed-use development in San Pedro, close to Monterrey, comprises two 35-storey apartment towers – the first luxury residences to be built by the practice in Mexico – and an 11-storey office building. Located to the west of the financial district, the project is intended as a catalyst for further development in the neighbourhood.
The towers are raised on stilts and oriented to maximise views of the southern sierra mountain range and nearby Country Club golf course. Arranged vertically as interconnected, slender volumes, each floor plate is gently curved and centred on a north-facing core. While the east and west facades are solid, the south is glazed to take advantage of daylight and views. Conceived as ‘houses in the sky’, the apartments fan out across each level so that, unusually for a tower, almost every room has a window and two of the apartments on each floor are dual aspect. Filled with natural light, the living spaces lead to generous balconies and terraces that take advantage of San Pedro’s climate. A green park at the towers base continues the greenery of the surrounding country club and incorporates leisure facilities and walkways. The landscape flows seamlessly through the towers, with pools of water underneath and sky gardens above. Parking is concealed beneath the landscaped podium to create a pedestrian-friendly public realm.
The offices are located to the north of the residential towers and provide a natural barrier between the landscaped grounds and adjacent road. Planned as four phased units in connected blocks of flexible, spacious office accommodation, they also integrate a mixture of shops and places to eat at ground level, with café seating extending into the park. The sustainable masterplan brings together a rich mixture of uses and aims for LEED certification, with energy efficient buildings that maximise natural light and ventilation and feature green roofs and self-shading balconies.
