Watch now: Pedro Reyes and Carla Fernández - NOWNESS In Residence

The daunting brutalism of the space is offset by Fernández’s vibrant textiles and Reyes’ sculptural work. A larger than life-sized sculpture of Vladimir Lenin’s head lies in repose, a wooden 'hand chair' with articulating fingers sits in the corner, and shovels cast from melted down weapons hang on a wall. Moving from the manmade to the natural, the master bathroom resembles an ancient geological site with its carved volcanic stone basin and roughly-hewn rockpool bathtub. Around the home lightwells of brilliant yellow interrupts the grey of the concrete, while large cacti and palms beckon a sense of the outdoors.

Their Coyoacán home is more than just a living space but a reflection of their commitment to working with the community. Most of the cement work was completed in-house by local craftspeople and the workshop is continually awash with neighbourhood artisans working on Reyes’s new sculptural projects. Reyes’s opus extends far beyond material arts and sculptures – most notably his People’s United Nations (stylised as 'pUN') invited 193 volunteers to find resolutions to geopolitical conflicts using psychology and theatre.

Meanwhile, Fernández’s eponymous fashion label works alongside indigenous communities in order to promote traditional weaving techniques and patterns to global audiences. As the couple continually seek out new partnerships and opportunities for knowledge exchange, they have both been visiting lecturers for the MIT programme in Art, Culture and Technology. The couple’s work, just like their cavernous home, is a testament to the rewards of local collaboration and celebration of Mexico’s rich heritage.

Follow the link here for the Nowness film by Justin Tyler Close or view above