Pozas Design Group: Designing the tallest building in Latin America

Pozas Design Group designed the project; making the tallest construction on the planet Latin America (LATAM) was not the initial goal. By implementing clever, late-stage adjustments, the company added the necessary height to create vertical history. Now completed, the record-breaking Obispado tower located in Monterrey, Mexico, is the first of two iconic structures built by the top-of-the-line architectural firm. With a constant drive for innovation, the architects share their design process and the technology that they employ to create and alter the 3-D design.
The vision of a landmark project
In the sprawling, industrial city of Monterrey, Pozas Design Group has a specialization in commercial and residential design. The company incorporated a Mexican style of design with the principles of human connections and service to build The Obispado as well as the Rise Towers — the most famous structures they’ve but to complete. The expectation for these buildings is that they can raise the profile of Mexican architecture around the globe.
Obispado Tower Obispado Tower was planned to be a landmark building from the beginning. The client was looking for an architectural structure that could be multi-functional, which meets all the requirements of customers and provides a beautiful backdrop in the urban skyline as well as the nearby mountains. Posaz’s multidisciplinary team was able to facilitate conversations with construction managers and other stakeholders right from the beginning of the project. They also incorporated the vision of the client as well as the realistic reality in the concept. The process was easy, and I went from idea to drawing within a mere twelve months.
The vertical issue
Once the project was in progress, a person asked, “Will this be the tallest building in LATAM?”
The team realized that the building just needed to be 10 meters taller in order to make the history books to Monterrey in the United States and Mexico. At first, the new additions seemed easy, and the modifications could have been easier were the project not in progress. It was a challenge to make changes to the existing design and plan for the façade while keeping the original design. Four stories lower than the design that was finalized. The original concept had structural and wind challenges because of its high elevation.
3-D models of two towers constructed using SketchUp.
A flexible and adaptable workflow
Pozas Design Group places their success in the construction of the Obispado structure, which was the original concept that earned their client’s trust, to achieving its colossal height in their bold creativity and the software for architecture design that enabled the building to be expressed.
The idea was born by a client who has been a long-time customer. Pozas Design Group to develop the initial concept design for two towers located in downtown Monterrey. The team of designers worked for several weeks creating models using SketchUp to earn the trust of their clients. They received the contract after being attentive to the needs of their client and their ability to develop ideas in 3D quickly. The final version of their proposal was accepted with only minor modifications.
After earning the trust of the client, the team began developing the conceptual model using SketchUp; they utilized CAD tools and special tools to create a wind simulation and then analyzed the beams’ internal dimensions and facade loads. The detailed model was exported to produce 2D drawings of the construction. Any subsequent modifications were then modeled in SketchUp and included the last-stage adjustments to make the highest building in LATAM.
rendering from Obispado Tower. Obispado Tower.
The right 3-D modeling program
Software for modeling can aid or hinder your creative process. Certain software can be adapted to more rigid shapes (think rectangles and squares), which makes it more difficult to create the right profile. Pozas Design Group uses SketchUp because it lets them move from thinking to making quickly without the need to spend time tinkering using a set-up; one of SketchUp’s modeling capabilities is Live Components, which is a generative tool that makes use of mathematical equations to enable designers to think of new possibilities. The flexibility of this tool is the capability to transfer data in points from the website by using the Scan Essentials tool to the model and back again, allowing architects to see the real-world issues they might confront.
3-D models of two towers constructed using SketchUp.
In the case of Pozas Design Group, anything that hinders creativity is immediately discarded. They are constantly searching for the best method to create projects, and they choose 3D modeling software, which allows their imagination to be free to run.
Continual design innovation
The Obispado structure in Monterrey is 997 feet or 304 meters. It has 71 levels. One hundred seventy-six rooms for hotel guests, 42 offices, as well as a business center. The building has been awarded the LEED Gold certification.
The 92-story tower will have a total of 92 levels. The Pozas Design Group’s new tower will be the tallest new building in Latin America. The tower is being built close to Obispado Tower; it is scheduled to be completed in 2022. The Rise will include more than 250 units of apartments. 50,000-60,000 square feet of offices as well as 180 rooms for hotel accommodation.
Inspiring by continuous innovation, The team will draw on lessons learned from the construction of the Obispado tower when they design Rise. They are now looking at a different way to develop SketchUp models between concept and development. In the case of Rise, Pozas Design Group will design parts (not units) for the facade mullions, so it is easier to make changes when iterations come along. Additionally, the model is divided into sections that every architect is accountable for (facade interior rendering, etc.). With the improved and more connected design workflows, it’s expected that the design of Rise will go much more smoothly than the previous tower. It’s not surprising that Pozas Design Group is designing the highest structure within LATAM (again), and it’s been a long time right from the beginning.
Bernardo Pozas, Founder of Pozas Design Group
About Pozas Design Group
Pozas Design Group is a multidisciplinary design and architecture company located in Monterrey, Mexico, founded in 2000 by the architect Bernardo Pozas. The company is comprised of Bernardo Pozas Diseno Residencial, who is a specialist in high-end residential design; Pozas Arquitectos, an architectural design company focusing on the creation of mixed-use and vertical developments; PCG Design, an office specializing in interior as well as furniture design as well as The New Home Project, an investor in residential real estate development projects.
The company is committed to creating timeless architecture and design with character, identity, and character. Continuous innovation fuels their creativity and creates a unique design that is based on the values of their clients and creates a seamless connection between the client and the environment. Innovation in technology is at the core of their creation and their service to customers. Pozas Design Group invests in 3D technologies to create better designs and to communicate concepts. Follow @pozas_arquitectos on Instagram.