Mexico City has for too long been off the architectural grid.
With so much going on in the north, it is a little known fact that the architectural growth in the major city has been increasingly progressive.
Standing as a future icon of Mexico is Jaime Varon, Abraham Metta, Alex Metta/Midgal Arquitectos' latest contribution to the city, Plaza Residences.
While their broad range of architectural genres have allowed the company to have a marked impact on Mexico City, it is the Plaza Residences that is their current standout.
The development, which lies on Paseo de la Reforma between the Monument to Columbus and the Monument to the Revolution (not a location to be handled with unskilled hands), is at its most basic foundation a mixed-use development that represents a communication between the surrounding urban belt, historical and cultural landmarks and simplistic modernity, making it an obvious icon.
The exterior of the building is shaped in what the lead architects Varon and Metta's have labelled as a 'boomerang' formation, its shape allowing for the liquid flow of the traffic circle below, while creating an atmosphere that the building works with its surrounds, rather than against them.
"The building is an abstract entity giving a sense of scalelessness; its principal faade presents itself as a smooth-skinned glass curtain, permitting, at a glance, the loss of perception of the building's floors" says the trio.
Aluminum mullions were also added in order to decrease solar gain, simply one of the many sustainability practices that will continue throughout the building's lifespan.
Encasing the development's business centre, fitness centre, projection room swimming pool, kids club, lounge, events hall, parking lot, open-air plaza and most importantly the 20 floor apartment tower is a highly intelligent concrete and steel system.
In terms of general layout the apartment tower, which sits atop the basement, is divided into two independent spaces, each apartment positioned and designed according to its location in any one of the suite sites ranging from 60 to 170 sqm.
Created specifically as an earthquake resistant measure, a highly complex engineering system was put in place in order to add stability to what the designers label 'the basement' or ground levels, in addition to the apartment spaces.
"We used metal box piles at 54 metres, such as a hybrid system of box pile and 'Milan walls' to give support to the basement" they say.
In addition to these resilience measures, the aforementioned sustainable design has been a major focus, with an innovative and logical use of energy efficient means acting as a basis for the buildings energy consumption.
Decreasing a reliance on 'on grid' water use has been achieved through the construction and use of water tanks reserved for fire fighting and hydrants, in addition to a potable water tank and a rainwater tank, ten in total, which lie on the roof top of this incredible development.
An anaerobic Treatment Plant, which lies in addition to an emergency plant and a 1,281KW electrical energy generation substation.
As well as energy production, energy efficient technologies come as a high priority, with designers not letting the clean energy go to waste.
Energy saving systems that involve sensor and timer-controlled lights have been installed in all foot traffic areas, smart air ventilation and air injection systems keep areas well ventilated and aid in lessening electronic climate control, and perhaps the pice de rsistance, the carbon monoxide detection system which is in place in all of the car park levels.
This building gives a clear indication of the firm's, and perhaps the city's, founding ideology.
We see here, the creation of a building complex that mixes energy efficient design, with resilient foundations and a sleek and iconic design in a way that is not simply for show, but rather responds and molds to its cultural and environmental climate.
Clever design and strong execution at its most basic and excellent.