About
DONIS is an international studio of architecture, urbanism, research, industrial design, and art. The studio has won several international prizes, including the Dubai Frame, selected as the first-prize winner from 926 proposals in an international competition regulated by UNESCO-UIA; the first prize for the National Palace of Justice in Paris; and the winning design for a new landmark for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the City of London. DONIS designs, develops, and builds projects across a wide range of scales and programs, consistently pursuing innovative, sustainable, and socially engaged architecture. DONIS was founded by Fernando Donis, Mexican Dutch architect who received his Master’s degree from the Architectural Association in London through the Design Research Laboratory (DRL), where he studied under Patrik Schumacher and Brett Steele. He also received a PhD in Architecture from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), through the doctoral research program The City as a Project, led by with Pier Vittorio Aureli. His doctoral research, FRAME, is a five-chapter study of the archetype of the frame and its role in the architectural and urban history and culture of Mexico. Following his studies at the Architectural Association, Fernando Donis worked closely with Rem Koolhaas as an Associate at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) for nine years, from 2001 to 2009. During this period, he was the main designer of the CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, among numerous other architectural projects and masterplans. He also collaborated with AMO, OMA’s research and design branch, contributing to research projects concerning the European Union. Fernando Donis has taught at the Berlage Institute and the Academy of Architecture in Rotterdam, as well as at Universidad Iberoamericana and Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico, integrating architectural research, design, and urbanism across multiple scales. His work and career have received international recognition. In 2011, CNN Expansión selected him as one of the 30 most promising and influential people in Mexico. In 2015, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs selected him as one of the country’s most creative Mexicans living abroad.
Sun Apartments
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
La Paz is a city of remarkable contrasts. Surrounded by extraordinary landscapes and blessed with a mild climate for most of the year, it possesses enormous potential that remains only partially realized. Rather than becoming another resort destination like Cabo San Lucas, La Paz has the opportunity to develop its Malecón and historic center as a new hub for art, culture, and public life, framed by its deserts, giant cacti, granite rock formations, turquoise sea, beaches, and islands. Above all, the city's greatest asset is its sunlight, its spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
When commissioned to transform an existing house on the Malecón into rental apartments, we chose to make the sun the project's central architectural element. Circular skylights introduce natural light into the existing structure, while generous curved terraces wrap around the building, creating a new dialogue between the original house and its contemporary extension.
These circular terraces frame panoramic views from east to west while protecting the apartments from direct solar exposure. Open to the prevailing sea breeze, they become shaded outdoor living, dining, and kitchen spaces—the true heart of each apartment—while the bedrooms remain protected behind them. The project proposes a new residential typology for La Paz, one that embraces outdoor living as its defining architectural quality.
La Paz has long been known by the slogan "Puerto de Ilusión" (Port of Hope). We believe that this hope can be transformed into reality through this type of architecture and shaded urban design, respecting nature while creating new opportunities for culture, commerce, innovation, and public life. In doing so, La Paz can offer a higher quality of life for its residents while sharing the extraordinary beauty of its landscapes and the Sea of Cortez with the world.
