The design is part of a larger exploration of attractive homes for middle- and low-income families

On a nine-acre plot of land in Apan, Mexico, about two hours east of Mexico City, architects have been busy exploring the future of affordable housing. Run by Mexico’s Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers, also known as Infonavit, the Housing Laboratory is an incubator for new ideas around how to build housing that’s not just affordable for middle- and low-income families, but also attractive too.

The site is home to some 32 prototypes, and the most recent among them is a clean-lined concrete house coated in blush pink. Mexico City studio PPAA designed the prototype with Zaragoza, a city located near the Mexico-U.S. border, in mind.

“The inhabitants of this locality present a strong aspiration to the American way of life that is reflected in the buildings of the localities,” the studio said.

The house is built from square modules that can be expanded and rearranged depending on the desired layout. In the prototype model, the 624-square-foot home is arranged into a T-shape with the public areas and one bedroom on the ground floor. The other bedroom and a rooftop terrace are reached by a plywood staircase that also happens to provide a pop of warmth in the white-walled, concrete-floored interior.