HEMAA on winning 2023’s Best of Design Awards

Last year, Mexico City–based firm HEMAA took home the award for best Residential—Single-unit project in AN’s 2023 Best of Design Awards. The project, titled Pabellón de la Reserva, is a rectilinear home in Mexico’s Reserva Santa Fe that nestles into its surrounding landscape. The residence went on to become a finalist for AN’s 2023 Project of the Year, the penultimate award from Best of Design.

This year, the annual program will search again to name a Project of the Year, as well as recognize projects in even more categories. New this year is international eligibility. The 2024 edition extends AN’s quest to elevate design across typologies—from facades, museums, and interiors to residential projects, landscapes, unbuilt works, master planning and more. Winners are honored with a limited edition, signed Archigram print and published online, on social media, and in our year-end Best of 2024 issue. As the awards submission deadline approaches on September 13, 2024, we checked in with previous winners to hear what winning meant to them and their for putting together a submission for the latest program.

While the submission process is quick and succinct—just a project description, six images, and a list of collaborators and credits—there’s variation to narrative and emphasis. HEMAA’s managing partner, Alejandra Tornel, elaborated on the winning project and the impact of winning the award. Read Tornel’s advice and apply to 2024’s Best of Design Awards today.

AN: What did winning AN’s Best of Design Awards mean to HEMAA?

Alejandra Tornel (AJ): Winning AN’s Best of Design Awards was a profound honor for us, marking international recognition of the effort, creativity, and commitment invested in this project. This award significantly validates our vision and approach to architectural design, inspiring continued innovation, and the pursuit of excellence in our future endeavors.

AN: How did winning the award impact the firm?

AJ: The award has significantly bolstered HEMAA, enhancing team pride and fostering a sense of accomplishment that fuels our exploration of innovative ideas and solutions in our endeavors. It is gratifying to see that AN, as a constant beacon of design inspiration and reference within the design and architecture community, recognized Pabellón de la Reserva as a contender for Project of the Year in 2023.

AN: What was the most challenging aspect of the Pabellón de la Reserva project?

AJ: The most intricate challenge presented by Pabellón de la Reserva becomes apparent when examined through the dual lenses of contextual and functional design. Achieving harmony between the structure and its natural surroundings necessitated a multifaceted approach, with the design carefully calibrated to the site’s distinctive geographical and ecological features. This process required a comprehensive strategy, aiming to strike a delicate balance between architectural innovation and environmental responsibility, ensuring that the final project is not only visually coherent but also adheres to sustainability principles—an aspect highly valued by our client within the broader masterplan in which our project is integrated.

AN: When awarding HEMAA the win for Pabellón, juror Michael Hsu called out how he’s “always impressed when an architect starts with rectilinear forms but with iteration you arrive at really interesting interior massing and spatial solutions.” How did you approach this massing and interior organization?

AJ: We started with a foundation of rectilinear forms to establish a clear and orderly framework. From there, we iterated and adjusted the design to explore how these forms could adapt to smooth out the space and pathways. The rest of the geometric variations respond to the different layers of specialty that informed the project, which in turn modified its form as functionality does to a machine.

AN: Do you have any advice for people who are considering applying to this year’s Best of Design?

AJ: We strongly recommend participating in the diverse and dynamic categories of the AN Best of Design Awards. The possibilities can be broad and exciting. Engaging in these awards offers not only immense satisfaction for the entire team, but also serves as a powerful affirmation of each member’s contribution to the project’s development and ultimate success.

Submission to 2024 Best of Design Awards is open now until midnight ET on September 13, 2024.