Casino Social Center and Community Development Center by KEN

Project description by KEN

The Casino Social Center and the Community Development Center (CDC) are part of the Urban Improvement Program of the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) of the Government of Mexico. These public projects aim to improve living conditions in communities with limited resources and in neighborhoods with high levels of marginalization or violence in Mexico.

General program
Located in Teapa, Tabasco, this project consists of a master plan that offers two cultural spaces and a sports area: the Social “Casino”, the Cultural and Sports Center, the Community Development Center (CDC), and the Ecological Park connected through the Public spaces. The CDC functions as a place to hold workshops, while the Casino Social Center is a multipurpose space intended for sporadic events. On the other hand, the Ecological Park houses indoor and outdoor sports facilities, as well as services.

The location of these spaces follows the model of ancient pre-Hispanic cities, adapting to the topography, and being distributed on platforms at different levels. The CDC is located towards the northwest, in the lowest part of the land, at street level due to its daily use; while the Casino Social Center is located in the highest part towards the northeast. The sports area was located to the south of the complex and the sports pavilion in the southwestern area.

To facilitate accessibility and connection between the buildings, a staircase ramp was designed that takes advantage of the topography, connecting the upper part with the street level. Towards the south, this staircase becomes an open-air forum that functions as the end of a plaza that gives access to the CDC and the Ecological Park. In a north-south direction, in the manner of the thistle of Roman cities, a pedestrian promenade was proposed that connects all the spaces of the complex. These are two walkways with lighting, trees, and urban furniture.


Casino Social Center and Community Development Center by KEN. Photograph by Luis Young.

Casino
In the “Casino,” a large roof has been created without intermediate support to host events of different kinds. It is illuminated to the north and ventilated naturally to the south, taking advantage of passive systems that keep the space cool. The structural supports were arranged to the east and west, functioning as porticos that, in addition to being the vestibule, protect from solar incidence and create cross ventilation through cantilevers with mullions and lattices in the upper part of the facades.

The 34 m span is covered by steel reinforcements, the covers alternate on the lower or upper bed of the reinforcement so that the cant of these becomes the point on which it is illuminated, to the north with shutters, or It is ventilated, to the south, with louvers. These covers were made of clay paneling, which allows the cover itself to have no relevant thermal gain. On the north and south facades, the services were combined, including the multipurpose rooms, which are located on the upper floor of these service blocks.

Cdc
Taking into account the hot climate and high rainfall in Teapa, the CDC sought to create spaces with passive ventilation and natural lighting systems. The north-facing saw teeth and internal patios generate microclimates along with the vegetation and south-facing lattices. The workshops are located in the center, articulated through the patios, and on the perimeter are the services, commercial premises, and a support module for women. The circulations function as porticos, protecting the different areas from rain and solar incidence.


Casino Social Center and Community Development Center by KEN. Photograph by Luis Young.

Park
The Ecological Park is a sports and recreation complex. On the east side is the sports area, which has a professional soccer field, a jogging track, a 5-a-side soccer field, a basketball court, and a softball court. The topographic difference between the street and the park gave rise to the stands of the professional soccer field, while the stands of the 5-a-side soccer and basketball fields are located on roofed platforms with a light prefabricated cover of mud and steel paneling.

The program includes a single-level pavilion that houses a gym and amenities. It has a volumetry that privileges natural lighting through the sawtooth roof and the façade with gussets that segment the entry of light.

It was decided to strengthen the edge of the complex with sidewalks, pedestrian lights and vegetation, which allows it to be permeable on its four fronts. In addition, the existing church was preserved within the architectural program.


Casino Social Center and Community Development Center by KEN. Photograph by Luis Young.

Closing
In the development of this project, we sought at all times to use materials in their apparent condition such as steel and walls with hollow red partitions. As well as precast pavements with stone aggregates in light tones, evoking the limestone stones of the region. Which allowed us to create warm atmospheres and reduce maintenance costs.

Regarding vegetation, naturalized species were used in the three strata: ground covers (grass, gravel, rhoeo, wedelia, green liriope), shrubs (aralia, horsetail, elegant leaf, fern, croto, arboreal), and trees (tabachin).

Given the rainy context of the municipality, positive environmental impact strategies were implemented, such as rainwater collection systems that are stored in a cistern for irrigation.