During 1975 the Architect Christopher Alexander designed and built an experimental project for low income people in the city of Mexicali, Mexico. The aim of the project was to create a beautiful place, not just of architectural beauty but in its essential spirit, in its quality of life. A number of patterns, taken from the book A Pattern Language, were used to design the environment. The residents played an important role in the design of their place: this, according to the author, would guarantee that the place would directly respond to their physical and spiritual needs. / Today, 20 years later, the project has undergone a lot of changes. People have continued the building process by themselves. Additions, modifications and changes in the use of spaces have blended the project with the neighborhood. This research attempts to describe the project's changes, to explain the motivating factors in its changes, and to evaluate the designer's original goals. It reveals the discrepancy between the architect's intentions and the actual needs of the residents. In this respect, the transformations observed show the incorporation of a culturally-based production process, suggesting the existence of an already inherent building practice that was neglected in the Mexicali approach.

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