The commute: Cycle through Mexico City with Tatiana Bilbao
We ride along with the Mexican architect as she shares abut her practice, her choice of bike brand and the relationship between architecture and politics.
Tatiana Bilbao, an award-winning Mexican architect, is known for her nature-led approach to design in projects such as the Sea of Cortez Research Center aquarium in northwest Mexico, which combines concrete with vegetation near the shore of an ocean estuary. It’s little surprise then that she opts for a green commute in her native Mexico City – one of the world’s most congested capitals. Monocle meets Bilbao as she completes her daily cycle to her office along the city’s celebrated Paseo de la Reforma.
Tell us about your commute. First, what brand of bike do you use each morning?
I’m currently riding one made by American brand Specialized. Over the years, I’ve changed from a regular bike to electric.
Is the car ever an option?
Our garage has only bikes and motorbikes in it – nothing else. In terms of transport [beyond my commute], I am a pedestrian first. I try to walk, use public transit or bike in every city that I go to. The only time that I really have to change this is when I take a taxi to the airport – or drive from New York to New Haven.
Does cycling help set you up for a good day?
For sure. I like to feel the fresh air on my face as I cycle through Chapultepec Park, which is near my home, where I start my ride. Paseo de la Reforma has a lot of traffic and it’s sometimes closed by protesters. So it makes me smile that I can pass through it very fast.
What’s your choice of clothing for the office? Do you have a uniform?
I don’t think that I have one. But ask anyone and they will say that it’s black.
You mentioned seeing protesters on your way to work. Would you say that politics and your daily work as an architect are connected?
My grandfather was an architect who then became a politician. He was a true democrat in the traditional sense of the word – he was pro-community and understood that the better off we are as a collective, the better we will be ourselves.
Looking ahead to the projects that you’re working on, are there any that you expect to make an impact on daily life in Mexico City?
We’re designing all the stations for Mexico City’s Cablebús Line 4. It’s an 11.4km elevated transit line that is under construction in the city’s south – we’re very excited.
Tatiana Bilbao is speaking at Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Barcelona this September. For more information and to secure your ticket, click here.
