Estudio Zero shapes pink Mexican co-living complex after sound wave

Mexican practice Estudio Zero has created a co-living apartment building rendered in pink-toned concrete with a series of arched forms informed by sound waves in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. Known as Amplitude Coliving, the 390-square-metre complex was completed in 2025 on a 315.5-square-metre site in La Punta, a coastal neighbourhood known for small-scale, independent construction. Estudio Zero, which is based in Querétaro, worked with the client to personify the idea of amplitude, the physical shape of sound waves and the way energy travels and grows in intensity. Estudio Zero designed Amplitude Coliving for Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico "We took that literally and translated it into the architecture – you can actually read the waveform in the facade, in the way the arches and columns rise and taper," the studio told Dezeen, explaining that the design also represents the energy of the client. "From there it became a shared language between client and studio – not just a form, but a way of thinking about how energy and community move through the building." The complex is organised as a sequence of courtyards, open-air corridors and interconnected common areas that allow circulation to progress into levels of social interaction. The building's form was based on a sound wave A courtyard sits at the centre of the plan with a pool, shared kitchen and dining area and serves as the social heart of the complex. In the co-living plan, individuals rent rooms and share the common spaces. "That's the whole idea behind this coliving model," the studio said, "not to program those encounters, but to design a courtyard that gives people every reason to be in the same place and let the connection happen on its own." A courtyard sits in the centre of the plan, connecting the two residential envelopes Open-air balconies with scalloped railings line the courtyard and transition to three different apartment types – studios, larger units with private garden spaces and double-height loft units on the upper level of the main facade with alternative roof vaults. Tied to the Oaxacan coastal landscape, the interior and exterior colour palette includes terracotta-pink, hand-rendered stucco, board-formed concrete and tropical hardwood doors, window frames and custom millwork. The warm, natural materials contrast with glass block that filters light in the bedroom, delicate steel spiral staircases and cable railings that add a nautical touch to the mass. "The tapered, hourglass-shaped concrete columns that flare out to meet the balcony slab. Visually, they read almost like a waveform, tying the structural language directly back to the 'amplitude' concept," the studio said, explaining that all of the details reinforce the idea of the building as something in motion rather than a static object. The wave-form is echoed in the balustrades above the courtyard Opposing openings, shaded open-air corridors, deep overhangs and spatial porosity keep air flowing through the building, while the thermal mass of the concrete and stucco moderates internal temperature swings. Meanwhile, solar panels are paired with battery storage to keep the building running during tropical weather events. Pink-toned concrete was used throughout Other recent projects in Mexico that deploy a similar pink scheme include a residential complex by V Taller in Tulum centred around a tower, blocky beach housing by Reyes Rios + Larrain in Dzemul and a renovated apartment building by Heryco in Queretaro. The photography is by Alex Krotkov. Read more: Co-living and co-housing Coloured concrete Pink Puerto Escondido Courtyards Mexico Swimming pools Architecture Exclusives Subscribe to our newsletters Your email address New! Dezeen Agenda US Sent on alternate Fridays, this US edition of Dezeen Agenda is a fortnightly newsletter rounding up everything you need to know from America, featuring news, projects and interviews with industry figures. Plus occasional updates and invitations to Dezeen events. New! Dezeen Showroom New Releases A quarterly newsletter rounding up a selection of recently launched products by designers and studios, published on Dezeen Showroom. Dezeen Debate Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly, is sent every Tuesday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. Plus occasional updates on Dezeen’s services and breaking news. Dezeen Agenda Sent every Thursday and containing a selection of the most important news highlights. 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