WORKac partnered with the Mexican architecture firm Ignacio Urquiza Arquitectos to design two Pilares Centers in the Lomas de Becerra and Azcapotzalco neighborhoods of Mexico City. PILARES (which stands for Puntos de Innovación, Libertad, Arte, Educación y Saberes) is a project of the Mexico City Government to establish spaces for education and culture that contribute to recreation, gathering, and exchange among the city’s inhabitants.
The PILARES are a series of strategically located public buildings across Mexico City, sited in areas experiencing high levels of vulnerability and poverty. These community-oriented spaces offer areas designed for study and learning, together with free artistic, sports, and recreational activities and workshops for entrepreneurship, skills, and professional development. Available programs include a cyberschool, a robotics lab, a screenprinting studio, electricity, cookery and jewelry workshops, and more.