The architectural process for a concrete residence is defined by sequence. Decisions made early — about solar orientation, structural bay size, and material specification — cannot be undone once concrete is cast. The process before the style is not a phrase; it is the operating logic.
In MÉTODO, we design concrete residences through a structured sequence of phases where each phase has a specific output, a review gate, and a set of decisions that close before the next phase begins.
Phase One: Site Analysis and Program Definition
Every MÉTODO project begins with a site analysis that produces specific data, not impressions.
Solar study: We map the sun's path at summer solstice (maximum north deviation), winter solstice (most south), and equinox. We note where shadows fall from neighboring structures at each critical hour: 8 a.m., noon, and 4 p.m. This data determines where thermal mass is effective, where glazing needs shading, and which rooms should be placed on which orientation.
Wind analysis: Prevailing wind direction and seasonal variation determine where operable openings are most effective for natural ventilation. In CDMX, afternoon winds are predominantly from the northeast. In Denver's Front Range, prevailing winds are from the west and northwest.
Topography and drainage: Slope direction and natural drainage paths determine where the building can sit without redirecting water onto neighboring properties. In concrete construction, below-grade walls must be designed for hydrostatic pressure from soil and groundwater.
Program documentation: The client's program — number and type of rooms, adjacency requirements, privacy relationships between spaces, storage needs, future growth possibilities — is documented in writing before design begins. A vaguely defined program produces a vaguely designed building.
The site analysis and program definition phase takes 3 to 4 weeks. Its output is a site analysis document and a written program brief that both architect and client sign off on.
Phase Two: Schematic Design and the Matrix of Options
The matriz de opciones — the matrix of options — is the schematic design tool that replaces the single-proposal presentation. We produce 3 to 5 distinct organizational schemes, each of which resolves the same program differently. The schemes explore different answers to a common set of questions:
- Where does the patio sit relative to living program?
- Where are concrete structural walls positioned for lateral resistance and thermal mass?
- How does the building section manage natural light?
- What is the relationship between indoor and outdoor space?
- Where does the car arrive, and how does that affect the street face of the building?
Each option is developed enough to evaluate — a plan at 1:200, a section at 1:100, and a 3D massing diagram. Each option has implications for cost, construction complexity, and spatial quality.
The client does not receive one proposal to accept or reject. They receive a comparison. This is what deciding by comparison, not guessing looks like in practice. The chosen scheme becomes the basis for design development.
Phase Three: Design Development
Design development takes the approved schematic scheme and resolves it completely — every room, every wall, every opening, every material junction. At the end of design development, there should be no design questions left unanswered.
For concrete residential design, this phase includes:
Structural coordination: The structural engineer produces their initial structural drawings in coordination with the architectural design. Column sizes, beam depths, and slab thicknesses are confirmed. Wall openings are coordinated with reinforcement requirements. Any structural wall that also serves as an interior concrete finish surface is marked as "architectural concrete" and held to a higher specification standard.
Material specification development: The concrete specification is written in this phase. We specify:
- Concrete mix for each element type (structural walls, slabs, non-structural walls)
- Formwork type and pattern for each exposed surface
- Tie rod spacing and diameter for concrete walls
- Surface treatment after stripping (if any)
- Acceptable defect thresholds and repair procedures
Detail development: All material junctions are drawn at 1:10 or 1:5 scale. Concrete-to-wood transitions, concrete-to-stone transitions, concrete-to-glazing conditions. No detail is left to field interpretation.
Phase Four: Construction Documents
Construction documents translate the design development package into a buildable set of drawings and specifications. For a concrete residence, this set includes:
- Architectural drawings: Floor plans, sections, elevations, interior elevations, and detail sheets at 1:10 to 1:50 scale.
- Structural drawings: Foundation plan, structural plans, sections, and connection details.
- MEP drawings: Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing coordinated with structural and architectural elements. Conduit routing through concrete slabs and walls is fixed in this phase.
- Specifications: Written requirements for every material and construction method.
The construction documents package is the legal record of the design intent. It is also what contractors price. Vague documents produce unpredictable bids. Complete documents produce comparable bids.
Phase Five: Construction Administration
A concrete building requires more intensive construction administration than a typical wood-frame or masonry project. The irreversibility of poured concrete means that design errors discovered during construction are expensive to correct.
Our construction administration protocol includes:
- Pre-pour inspections: We visit the site before every significant concrete pour to verify form installation, reinforcement placement, and embedded element locations. We do not pour concrete without a written inspection confirmation.
- Post-strip inspections: We inspect formwork-stripped surfaces within 24 hours of stripping. Surface defects that exceed the specification tolerance are documented and remedied before proceeding.
- Weekly site meetings during structure phases, bi-weekly during finish phases.
- Written responses to all contractor requests for information within 48 hours.
Construction administration is not an add-on service. For concrete residential work, it is the phase where the design is realized or lost.
Próximos pasos
The design process for a concrete residence takes time. Clients who expect a completed design within weeks will be disappointed — and the building will show it. Clients who invest in the full process receive a residence that performs as designed.
Conoce el método de MÉTODO — the complete process, from site analysis through construction completion.