The National Social Distancing Campaign in Mexico began on March 23, 2020. However, even a couple of weeks prior—despite the federal government's recommendation to continue daily activities as normal—social media users were already choosing to replicate the European model of self-isolation. Some architecture firms immediately decided to close their physical spaces and transition to remote work, while others took several weeks to adapt. Ultimately, this period of social and physical (spatial) distancing is experienced differently in every home. The months of this pandemic have exposed not only the systemic inequalities regarding basic needs in dense urban areas, but also the fragility of our established social order. Whether at a macro or micro scale, these experiences are shaped by the built environment, positioning architecture as both a witness to and a defining factor in this equation.
At ArchDaily, we have been tracking projects, initiatives, and articles linking COVID-19 and architecture. We believe this pandemic can yield positive, concrete actions across various theoretical and practical lines of work—including housing, public space, and participatory processes—within the architectural spectrum. Consequently, as part of a collaboration with Mexican architects Mariana Ríos and Leticia Lozano of MACIA ESTUDIO, we are launching the series Reflexiones COVID-19 (COVID-19 Reflections) focusing on Mexican women architects. This series aims to understand how architectural practice in Mexico has transformed over recent weeks in response to this situation, and which personal reflections will shape a collective "new normal" for the profession. In this installment, we feature the reflections of Ana Cecilia Garza, partner at S-AR, an architecture firm based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, which also includes María Cecilia Gómez and César Guerrero.
