Alambique

Alambique is a residential community conceived for older adults with different levels of independence. The project was designed to enable residents to remain within the same community as their care and support requirements evolve over time.

The development occupies a gently sloping 24,413.83-square-meter site with existing vegetation. Its residential program comprises 62 units: 36 assisted-living homes arranged in nine clusters of four units, and 26 homes for residents with a greater degree of independence. The assisted-living clusters share nursing services and are organized around communal courtyards, while each residence retains access to private outdoor space.

The program also includes an administration and services building containing a gym, nursing facilities, a library, a games room, and a multipurpose hall. A separate circular building, organized around an internal courtyard, accommodates the restaurant and café. Vegetable gardens, landscaped areas, and shared outdoor spaces complement the residential program, encouraging community life and everyday contact with the landscape.

The master plan responds to the site’s natural topography, preserves existing trees, and proposes extensive reforestation. Local materials, including stone walls, terracotta flooring, and clay-tile roofs, establish a connection with the architectural character of Malinalco while being reinterpreted within a contemporary residential environment.