House of Tubes Wonen by Enrique Leal is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award in Zilver in Architectuur, Gebouwen en Constructieontwerp Competition Category.

ZilverArchitectuur· 2021

House of Tubes Wonen

by Enrique Leal

Client: Enrique Leal

A' Design Award in Zilver Winner in Architectuur Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About House of Tubes Wonen

Het project is de samensmelting van twee gebouwen, een verlaten gebouw uit de jaren 70 met het gebouw uit het huidige tijdperk en het element dat is ontworpen om ze te verenigen is het zwembad. Het is een project dat twee hoofdfuncties heeft, het eerste als een woning voor een gezin van 5 leden, het tweede als een kunstmuseum, met grote ruimtes en hoge muren om meer dan 300 mensen te ontvangen. Het ontwerp kopieert de vorm van de achterste berg, de iconische berg van de stad. In het project zijn slechts 3 afwerkingen met lichte tinten gebruikt om de ruimtes te laten schijnen door het natuurlijke licht dat op de muren, vloeren en plafonds wordt geprojecteerd.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Zilver

House of Tubes Wonen is winnaar van de A' Design Award in Zilver, een buitengewoon prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan topontwerpen die prachtig en indrukwekkend zijn. Winnaars in Zilver zijn enorm briljante en uiterst creatieve werken die de uitmuntende expertise, het talent en de scherpzinnigheid van hun ontwerpers illustreren. House of Tubes Wonen wordt verwacht een prachtig paradepaardje te zijn dat opmerkelijk professioneel en diepgaand innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in Zilver heeft gewonnen, is een hoogst opmerkelijke, bewonderde uitvinding die baat en de grenzen van kunst, wetenschap, ontwerp en technologie verlegt. House of Tubes Wonen is een zeer benijde creatie die verlangens oproept, positieve gevoelens brengt en verbazing en verwondering doet ontvlammen.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: In the project is the fusion of two buildings, an abandoned building from the 70's with the building from the current era and the element that was designed to unite them is the pool.
It is a project that has two main uses, the first as a residence for a family of 5 members, the second as an art museum, with wide areas and high walls to receive more than 300 people. The design copies the shape of Cerro de la Silla, the city's iconic mountain. Only 3 finishes with light tones are used in the project to make the spaces shine through the natural light that is projected on the walls, floors and ceilings.
Dimensions & Packaging: Site area 2,283.29 m2- Area of building 1,153.20 m2
Tags: House of Tubes, Old Building, Tubes, Minimalist, Concept Design, Architecture
Production Technology: The house is composed of steel structure and block filled walls and inside durock with fiberglass insulation.

In this project the architect wanted to minimize the finishes to be used, three main finishes which are travertine marble, oak wood in a natural color, white paint finish on some walls and ceiling lights, and glass.
Design Challenge: This project seeks to find the balance between the preexisting and the new. Demolishing the house was the first impulse that made sense in face of the challenge. Rescuing the structure, and integrating the necessities, lead the architect to a point where the analysis became challenging and insinuating. The best dialogue we could have was contrast based in lines.

The architect sought a dialogue between lines of opposite characters, to unify two architectural concepts. Because of this, rethinking the necessities of the client in a space without previous construction was the wisest thing to do.
Research: Sustainability and energy efficiency were the goals of this project. Led lighting and a Double-layer drywall system as insulation optimize the A/C system (28 SEER) and energy consumption. it was built with steel-based structure, a material totally and indefinitely recyclable. Using artificial grass reduces water consumption. Solar Panels cover 80% of the energy needed to power the residence. Solar boilers to avoid the use of electricity or gas to heat water. Rainwater harvesting with dedicated containers.
Inspiration: The peaks of the Mount Silla with the peaks of the top of the old structure, were critical to decide to angle the higher volume of the new residence to create a dialogue, seeking unity between these three elements. The use of water as the link uniting different timelines, concepts, uses, and histories. The pool as the unifying element, the water as the new soul of the house, the cylinder as a container representing the old holding the new.
Project Duration: The property is located within the Guadalupe municipality, which is a part of the Metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico. Located in Cerro de la Silla, which is one of the most emblematic mountains in the city, and in Mexico.

Started in November 2017 in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and finished in November 2019.
Operation Flow: Design a project with ample spaces; interiors and exteriors, that when integrated with the original project, would form a communion with the views of the surrounding landscape.

The layout and concept needed to resemble a museum, with multi-purpose spaces. A clean and sober aesthetic, allowing it to be used for exhibitions, reunions, workshops and other activities, pertinent to the different disciplines the family members practice. In the same way, it needed to offer privacy in between the different areas.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Jorge Taboada, House of Tubes, 2020
Image #2: Photographer Jorge Taboada, House of Tubes, 2020
Image #3: Photographer Jorge Taboada, House of Tubes, 2020
Image #4: Photographer Jorge Taboada, House of Tubes, 2020
Image #5: Photographer Jorge Taboada, House of Tubes, 2020