Centro Zen One Drop

One Drop Zen Center

Mazatlán, México

The centre is located downtown on the coastal avenue under the “Nevería Hill”: a great exposed rock overlooking the Pacific ocean. This centre opens its green oasis space of calm and contemplation to Mazatlán. It’s composed by three volumes with simple forms for ideological, ecological and economic reasons. These volumes are scaled and organized to let wind pass through and promote garden and ocean views.

ENERGY AND COMFORT

Spaces are naturally ventilated and lighted. The roof tops and south facades protect themselves with vegetation, double ventilated slates and cushion spaces occupied by services and vertical circulations both covered with walls and lattices. The house and studio enjoy ocean views, vertical sun protections against the west solar radiation and verandas that double as horizontal circulations.

Protecting spaces from the sun and opening them to the sea breeze makes Air Conditioned use unnecessary during most of the year. Fans exist in every piece though to move air. During the warmer months vital spaces are sealed with double glass windows and cooled only when in use.

A low consumption and “only needed” lights were installed keeping them to a minimum. White colours were selected for the exterior walls in order to diminish solar wall absorption.

WATER AND VEGETATION

The rain water that falls on the “green roof tops” both on the house and yoga studio is collected and stored in its earth and plants. This water is slowly liberated into the atmosphere as it evaporates and through plants evapotranspiration. The year´s warmer months coincide with the raining season. During these, the substrate earth maintains its humidity and keeps fresh the slates it covers.

We chose an extensive greenery, one that brings back its natural habitat to the local birds that otherwise would have lost space to the new constructions back.

Rainwater is also stored in a water pond and an underground tank. In the pond an ecosystem including fish and aquatic plants was created.

In the garden organic crops were planted along with fruit trees that would shade open spaces. A recycling water plant project was also developed with the treatment micro plants and storage tanks still due.