Situated along the banks of the Lerma River, whose waters have been supporting the fertile farmlands in the Huatzindeo Valley for centuries, the historic city of Salvatierra has a rich agricultural heritage. In recent decades, however, a waning interest in farming as a lifestyle coupled with urban sprawl — and an influx of criminality, violence and vandalism — has taken its toll on the
Mexican municipality. One regenerative project is attempting to change that. The revitalization of Batanes Ecological Park, led by local firm 3 M E Arquitectura (a family workshop helmed by brothers Enrico Eugenio Hernández Cervantes and Augusto Valentino Hernández Cervantes, who work closely with their heritage-restorer mother, Eugenia Cervantes, and builder father, Maclovio Hernández Martinez), reclaims neglected “residual spaces” for the community with the support of the local government.

Accessed by a spectacular 17th-century stone bridge, which was carefully restored as part of the undertaking, the formerly abandoned vegetable plot provided an opportunity as a “unique convergence of built heritage (the bridge), natural landscape (the river) and open terrain that embraces the scenery,” says the firm. Taking a context-sensitive approach, the designers transformed the 26,300-square-metre parkland with several interventions: The ruins of a dilapidated old house at the base of the bridge were reinforced with a concrete structure to serve as the ticket booth; a viewing ramp now meanders through the remains of stone retaining walls; and three topographic platforms, connected by weaving pathways made from compacted local tepetate (volcanic soil), were created to accommodate all manner of outdoor activities.

Two wooden pavilions were also added, one for food prep and outdoor dining and one with publicly accessible restrooms. Sitting light on the land, both of these simple yet impactful structures were constructed using the same system
of nine-metre-long beams and columns arranged in a double-T formation and
topped with a metal canopy. “The design decision for the pavilions was based on two principles,” say the architects. “One, because they were quick and more economical to build since they are a repeating piece. And from the beginning, we wanted to respect the ecosystem so it would remain as natural as possible and could be reversible over time.”

3 M E Arquitectura employed skilled repatriated migrants to work on the park overhaul, which included the bathroom pavilion. The double beam and column construction creates linear symmetry.

Placed on a reinforced bed of stones found on site (and hand-laid in a pattern that reflects the masonry work of the ancient bridge), the restroom pavilion is centrally located in Batanes Ecological Park and close to the river, which allows the filtration system to return treated water back to the tributary. Composed of two gendered washroom cubes (each with multiple private stalls) separated by a large metal-plate shared sink, the structure provides a much-needed and “100 per cent accessible and inclusive” amenity for both park users and those simply passing through. A slender metal roof — painted in a shade the architects refer to as “straw green,” a colour that reflects the surrounding landscape — protects the area from the elements without visually overwhelming the park.

“For us, architecture is a very important responsibility, and it’s in precisely these types of projects that we can generate the greatest impact and benefit our society,” say the architects of the renewed park, an area now safe and inviting for families to come together.