UH INFONAVIT Santa Fe. A park that arises from the slope

An inaccessible and marginal area on the western edge of Mexico City is being transformed into a continuous and safe public park, where architecture, landscape, and topography interact to give back to the community a forgotten space. UH INFONAVIT Santa Fe stands out as a virtuous example of urban regeneration, capable of turning a marginal area into an active, safe, and accessible park, designed for the daily life of the community.

A complex context of slopes and abandonment

Located on the western edge of Mexico City, the residential complex UH INFONAVIT Santa Fe is situated on a ravine area characterized by steep slopes and significant level differences. In this challenging context, the intervention by AMASA Estudio faces one of the most complex sites developed in 2024. The existing buildings, constructed on a steep topography, made it difficult to connect between levels and provide accessibility to common spaces. The project area, located on the southern edge of the complex and at the intersection of two streets at different elevations, had a residual triangular shape and a long history of abandonment, with evident signs of physical decay and a widespread perception of insecurity, especially during nighttime.

Regenerating a Fragile Space

Before the intervention, the space housed a basketball court that was no longer usable, built on unstable and fragmented ground, lacking adequate drainage infrastructure. The space was almost unused, while the constant flow of people from outside the complex reinforced the sense of vulnerability in the area. In response to this situation, INFONAVIT promoted a regeneration intervention that included a 230 m² multipurpose room, the redevelopment of play areas for children, a calisthenics area, and the recovery of the sports field. An operation that fully fits among those outdoor projects capable of acting as tools for social inclusion and urban revitalization.

A circular form that interacts with the landscape

The project addresses the site's challenges with a clear architectural gesture: a circular volume placed at the center of the area, capable of adapting to the topography without compromising the existing vegetation. The choice of a circular shape avoids blind corners, improves visibility, and distributes the program on staggered terraces, accessible from multiple points. An ascending path connects the multipurpose hall, play areas, and basketball court, located on the building's roof and accessible even from the highest point of the lot. The result is a continuous and fluid park, perceived as a habitable spiral where architecture and public space merge.

Structure, resilience, and collective use

Within the cylindrical volume, the multifunctional hall can function as a single space or be divided thanks to a structure composed of radially arranged concrete columns and beams converging in a central compression ring. The double pigmented concrete slab serves both as a cover and as a structural base for the sports field above. From a technical point of view, the intervention required complex solutions for managing rainwater, including the construction of absorption wells capable of mitigating landslides and flooding. The project successfully weathered the intense rains of 2025, demonstrating the effectiveness of the design choices.

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