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Who we are

Comunal was founded in Mexico City by Mariana Ordóñez Grajales [architect graduated from the Autonomous University of Yucatán] and Jesica Amescua Carrera [architect graduated from the Ibero-American University]. As a team made up of women, we have the social commitment to reflect on the acts of domination and patriarchal violence that are exercised from the architecture on women, their families, communities and territories, with the aim of finding new ways of accompanying social processes related to the right to habitat, from an intercultural stance that rejects racism, colonialism and technocratic visions.


We value the architectural object for its capacity to be functional, formal and aesthetically appropriate to the essence of the place, the culture and the people, but above all, as the representation of negotiation processes between consensus and dissent. For this reason, we do not conceive architecture as an individual author's work or as a static, artistic and unmodifiable object; but as a collaborative, live, open and constantly evolving social process that allows residents to express their ideas, needs and aspirations, always recognizing them as the center of projects and decision-making. In other words, we visualize the inhabitants as subjects of action and not as objects of intervention.


To understand the multiple ways in which the human habitat manifests itself, we have resorted to the democratic vision of Participatory Architecture and Social Production of Habitat, whose notions understand that individuals from any social group and cultural context have the ability to identify their needs, propose solutions and make the appropriate decisions for the development of its territory. Its integrative and intercultural approach respects all forms of life and has led us to dismantle the hegemonic practice of the architect to develop a role of facilitators and mediators who accompany communities in the defense of their habitat, promoting the exchange of knowledge, critical reflection and the construction of collective knowledge.

Acknowledgments

2020

Honorable mention in the Oscar Niemeyer Award for Latin American Architecture. Latin America.

2019

AR Emerging Architecture Awards [AREA]. London, United Kingdom.

2019

Silver medal. Third National Biennial of Young Architects. Mexico City, Mexico.

2019

Shortlist Début Award Lisbon Triennale Millenium BCP. Lisbon Portugal.

2018

Official selection at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale "Freespace". Mexico Pavilion "Echoes of a land". Venice Italy.

2018

Emerging Voices 2018. Architectural League of New York. New York, USA.

2018

First place in the Latin American Recognition of Social Reconstruction of Habitat post disaster in the "Investigation" category. Mexico.

2018

Third place in the ArchDaily “Work of the Year 2018” award. Santiago, Chile.

2018

Honorific mention. National and International Biennial of Mexican Architecture 2018. Mexico City, Mexico.

2018

Shortlist "Building 4Humanity Resilient Design Competition". Lisbon Portugal.

2017

Silver medal. Second National Biennial of Young Architects. Mexico City, Mexico.

2017

Honorable mention. CEMEX Award in the "Special Awards" category for social impact. Mexico City, Mexico.

2016

Silver medal at the XIV National and International Architecture Biennial in the category "Rural Housing". Mexico City, Mexico.

2016

Silver medal. First National Competition for Rural Housing in Mexico. National Housing Commission. Mexico City, Mexico

2016

Official selection at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale "Reporting from the front". Mexico Pavilion "Deploys and Assemblies". Venice Italy.

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