PASO NARA: A Shadow Pavilion Inspired by the Slopes of Rarámuri

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In Chihuahua's historic Plaza de Armas, at the intersection of Avenida Independencia and Calle Victoria, a small but impressive structure rises in a space once reserved for vehicular traffic but now pedestrianized: PASO NARA . Designed and built by students of the Instituto Superior de Arquitectura y Diseño (ISAD) , this temporary pavilion offers a shaded respite on one of the city's busiest pedestrian routes.

The pavilion's contrast with the square's historic stone texture makes it even more distinctive; its curved wooden shell offers a soft, almost organic alternative to the rigid geometry of the surrounding masonry structures.

A Form Arising from the Spatial Logic of the Rarámuri Slopes

The pavilion's conical form is inspired by the traditional skirts of the Rarámuri people, the indigenous inhabitants of the region, but not as an imitation, but as a translation. The designers have transferred not the appearance of the skirts, but their environmental performance to the architecture: the structure widens as it approaches the ground, increasing the shaded area, and narrows towards the top, leaving a narrow void opening to the sky. The light filtering through this void casts different patterns on the pavilion's interior at varying angles throughout the day; you don't see the same shadow in the morning and at noon.

The color gradient on the wooden surface is no accident, a conscious reference to the sunrise and sunset tones of the Chihuahua desert. This shell, formed by curved plywood panels, takes advantage of the material's flexibility to create a continuous, light, and sculptural whole; the constantly changing play of light and shadow throughout the day transforms the structure into an almost living surface.

A Wooden System Brought to the Field by Digital Manufacturing

What truly makes PASO NARA special is the construction logic behind its visible form. The load-bearing system operates with almost no need for metal fasteners, relying instead on gravity, pressure, and mechanical joint connections using wooden wedges. This is a choice that both reduces material waste and facilitates the dismantling and reassembly of the structure.

Each plywood piece is produced directly from digital models using three-axis CNC milling; this precision allows the parts to be assembled directly on-site without any cutting or adjustments. The project is being implemented within the framework of ISAD’s 2026 Taller del Desierto program, an intensive design-build workshop where students gain real-scale construction experience under the guidance of consultants and coordinators. Therefore, PASO NARA is not just an architectural object, but also a learning process, a tangible example of how digital design can be transformed into hand-built construction.

A Migratory, Reassemblable Architecture

Because PASO NARA is designed as a prefabricated and demountable structure, it is not tied to a single square; it can be reassembled and used in different locations. This is an aspect that takes the project beyond temporary architecture: it demonstrates how flexible an architectural practice can be created with wood systems working with digital production tools, even with widespread and accessible production technologies.

The result is not just a shaded area, but a space that invites you to pause and catch your breath amidst the constant hustle and bustle of the city, to look up and capture that small moment of connection with the sky.

Project Details

Project: PASO NARA

Institution: Instituto Superior de Arquitectura y Diseño (ISAD)

Programme: Taller del Desierto 2026

Advisors: Daniel Romero Valencia, Mauricio Rey Villarreal, Juan Castillo Cruz

Project Coordinator: Alexis Pereda Chánez

Location: Chihuahua, Mexico

Year: 2026

Material: Plywood (CNC cut)

Photo: Alexis Pereda, Santiago Ruiz

Design Team : Francisco Granullo de la Rocha, Abril Ávila Hernández, Alan Meléndez Peña, Alejandro Gardea Arana, Leonardo Cervantes Unzueta, Magdalena Sapién Martínez, Loreta Toledo López, Ana Guzmán Cabello, Ximena Rodríguez Soto, Luis Meneses Piña, Karla Mendoza Alvídrez, Jimena Cárdenas Torres, Mariana Jiménez Gutiérrez, Sebastián Acosta Rangel, Rogelio Ramos Licón, Natalia Cárdenas Heras, Fernanda Quezada Cherlín, Salma Rivas González, Héctor del Castillo Gómez, Edgar Gallegos Araiza, Gabriela Prieto Chávez, Luis Moreno Nevárez, Emilio Beltrán Hernández