SOCIAL REHABILITATION THROUGH PLAY
25 Sep 2018
Part of a wider programme that looks to public space to revert the “poor conditions of social housing”, Los Héroes Park was constructed to heal the scars of abandoned properties and social segregation in the urban outskirts of Mexico.
As described by the architects: The makeover of Parque Los Héroes, located in the Unidad Habitacional de Los Héroes Sección III in the city of Toluca de Lerdo, consisted of renovating the existing pavement using a single modulus, in order to articulate different spaces and define new activities. The paving unit is a hexagonal cobblestone that, like a pixel, modifies the topography and favours a flexible space layout. To complement the proposal, a tree grid of 100 new pieces was installed. 
Including children’s playgrounds, a football and a basketball court, and a skating ring, the park is inclusive and has been designed to improve the life quality of the adjacent housing units and primary school.
Although they have been designed according to specific natural and social conditions, both projects feature common elements, thus ensuring harmony among the built and natural environments that can be repeated or integrated into a system that is potentially applicable to any other context. 
One is the floor cement block, which can be easily adapted to any layout, be it natural or artificial. The creative combination of the blocks and insitu poured concrete filling, generate new patterns like an urban tapestry. The second is the playground system: the various concrete walls and metal bars can be arranged in multiple configurations, thereby constituting different spaces that are suitable for all uses and users. 
More than just oases to help citizens reconnect with nature, the parks are tools for engagement and environmentalism. Through the transformation of suburban areas into green recreational spaces embedded in the city fabric, Parque Héroes are fast becoming a beloved urban spot for residents. 
Los Héroes Park was commissioned by CIDS and INFONAVIT — the main Mexican Housing Institutions reshaping Mexico’s mortgage market and promoting sustainable housing development. 
