dellekamp schleich develops prototype for experimental housing in apan, rural mexico

the apan prototype by architecture studio dellekamp schleich is an experimental modular wooden construction, developed as part of a research on how to improve rural housing conditions in mexico. one of the 84 proposals created for ‘del territorio al habitante’, a program initiated by the center for research for sustainable development (CIDS), the project proposes a unit which can adapt to different programmatic and contextual situations.

all images by jaime navarro

dellekamp schleich‘s prototype is situated in laboratorio de vivenda, a site in apan, tlaxcala, where 32 housing prototypes have been built as part of a master plan created by MOS architects. the purpose of this development is to study social housing and its relationship with a given territory, as a basis for planning and development solutions.

located in the territory of nuevo parangaricutiro, michoacán, dellekamp schleich’s proposal is based on a spatial analysis of how the site has been used by the people that live there. ‘the idea was not to define housing prototypes, but rather create replicable processes and procedures, that could be easily adapted to other territories with their own specific conditions,’ explain the architects.

the apan prototype comprises a modular construction system in wood, which adopts the basic and familiar principles of vernacular architecture and offers the possibility of adapting to different programmatic and contextual situations. relying on two local resources that are readily available, pine wood and the methods of vernacular construction mentioned above, this project can be assembled in a very simple way, allowing for self-construction.