After 19S: Casa Rosales Milla / Israel Espín + Paola Domínguez (PienZa Sostenible)

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Today, we left the offices of PienZa Sostenible before dawn to head toward Tlalnepantla, in the state of Morelos—one of the many regions affected by the events of September 2017 across seven states in Mexico. After a few hours of conversation and comparing data regarding the reconstruction efforts that began almost immediately, we reached our destination, where the Rosales Milla family warmly welcomed us to show us their new home, built of adobe and wood.

Israel Espín and Paola Domínguez, the architects responsible for designing the project, shared their experience of leading this initiative, highlighting the sensitivity required for a work defined by its wooden door and window lintels.

The September 19, 2017 earthquake severely damaged part of the Rosales Milla family's home, an early 20th-century stone and adobe building—typical of local construction at the time—that served as the family's kitchen and dining room.

The house is conceived as an adobe pavilion that houses two rooms of equal proportions: one serving as a dining area and the other as a kitchen. The floor is a concrete slab connected to the stone foundation, while the roof features a framework of wooden beams designed to support tiles salvaged from the collapsed building.

The design gestures of the house where Doña Josefina and her family welcomed us are undoubtedly among the most subtle and discreet. The architecture is quiet, embracing the kitchen built against walls that step out to shelter the meals gladly served to visitors. Doña Josefina's kitchen is a metaphor for a country that will always have the *comal* ready to warm tortillas, turning any visit into a celebration, while the open areas provide space for children to play.

It is important to highlight the significant efforts of PienZa Sostenible to secure the necessary resources to make these projects possible—initiatives that, far from offering quick, temporary fixes, aim for long-term permanence. Each house is delivered with a maintenance manual, architectural plans, and recommendations from the lead architects, as well as a six-year warranty to effectively guarantee the built spaces.

Project Name: Casa Rosales Milla
Lead Architects: Israel Espín and Paola Domínguez
Location: Calle 5 de Mayo No. 4, Barrio San Felipe, Tlalnepantla, Morelos
Typology: Residential
Built Area: 55 m²
Context: Rural
Levels: 1
Program: Dining room and kitchen
Primary Material/Construction Technique: Adobe
Users: 5 adults and 1 child
Funding: Global Shapers México, Fideicomiso Fuerza México, PienZa Sostenible

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