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Architecture services

By Arkham Projects · Published on · Data reviewed on

Arkham Projects, an architecture firm founded in Mérida in 2013 by Min Peniche Calafell and Jorge Duarte Torre, designs custom homes anywhere in Mexico or the world, vertical buildings and master plans for real estate developers in any Mexican city, interiors and temporary architecture. It works from schematic design to construction documents and provides construction administration and site supervision; it does not build.

Arkham Projects services

Services in detail

  • ServiceCustom home design in Mérida and beyond

    Houses designed from scratch for people who will live in them, with their own plot or help choosing one, in Mérida or anywhere in Mexico or the world: who the service is for, what it includes, the process and typical design timelines.

  • ServiceArchitecture for real estate developments

    Vertical buildings and master plans in any Mexican city, designed for the project to work as a business: sellable area, absorption and an identity that cannot be copied.

Portfolio and awards

Tables built from the portfolio project pages, and the awards with their evidence.

Guides for your project

Sourced and dated answers to the questions that come before the design. They are general information, not legal advice or a quote.

What services does Arkham Projects offer?

Arkham Projects is an architecture firm: it designs and coordinates, but it does not build or handle permit applications, and permits are not part of its service. It recommends builders, works with partner builders or the one the client proposes, and accompanies construction on the architectural side. Its services are:

  • Custom home design, from schematic design to construction documents.
  • Architecture for real estate developments: vertical buildings and master plans.
  • Interior design for offices, restaurants, lobbies and homes.
  • Temporary architecture: structures, spaces and installations for exhibitions, events, fairs and commercial or cultural activations.
  • Help choosing a plot.
  • Construction administration and site supervision.
  • Coordination of engineering and special projects, which are developed by outside specialists.

Sources: ⁠[1]

How does a project with Arkham Projects start?

A project with Arkham Projects starts with the same four steps for homes and for developments. The first conversation is at no cost: we would rather tell you early if something does not add up.

  • Conversation and assessment: you tell us what you want to do, where and what stage you are at. For a house, we review the plot, your needs and your budget; for a development, investment, land, regulations and feasibility.
  • Working meeting, in person or by video call: Jorge Duarte Torre explains how Arkham works, the methodology and the scope, and gives you the order of magnitude of the fees in that same meeting, with no second appointment just to talk about money.
  • Formal proposal: scope, methodology, fees and terms in writing, with a meeting to answer questions and adjust the scope or the payment schedule.
  • Kick-off: a 2- to 3-hour session, usually with a site visit. From there, Min Peniche Calafell and the residential team or the real estate development team take over the design.

From what size does Arkham Projects take on a project?

According to Arkham Projects, these sizes are a reference, not a strict rule: the firm can consider smaller projects when their scope, complexity, budget or strategic relevance make them a good fit. As a reference:

  • Houses: from about 400 m²; most of the houses it designs have 400 to 600 m² of built area.
  • Restaurants: for architecture, from about 300 m², ideally from 400 to 500 m² and up.
  • Offices: for architecture, from 400 m², preferably 500 m² or more.
  • Hotels and hospitality: ideally from 1,000 m², depending on the number of rooms, common areas, scope and investment.
  • Interior design for offices, restaurants and lobbies: from about 100 to 150 m² of intervention; ideally over 200 m².
  • Residential interior design: interventions of 100 to 260 m²; ideally over 300 m².
  • Developments: vertical buildings from 5,000 m² of built area and master plans from 10 hectares; smaller projects are assessed case by case in the first conversation.

Sources: ⁠[2]⁠[3]⁠[4]⁠[5]⁠[6]⁠[7]⁠[8]⁠[9]⁠[10]

In Arkham's portfolio

  • Wóolis, single-family house in Mérida (2021)Wóolis

    Single-family house · Mérida · 2021 · BuiltCustom home example: winner in the Private Homes category of the 2024 International Architecture Awards by The Chicago Athenaeum.

  • Ment, apartment building in Mérida (2024)Ment

    Apartment building · Mérida · 2024 · BuiltDevelopment example: winner of the 2025 Architecture MasterPrize in Residential Architecture – Multi Unit, co-authored with Desnivel Arquitectos.

    Photo: Zaickz Moz / Manolo Solís

Frequently asked questions

Do you work outside Mérida?

Yes. We design houses anywhere in Mexico and the world, and architecture for developments in any Mexican city. We coordinate remotely, with direct communication, and travel to the plot and to the site when the project requires it.

Do you also build?

We provide construction administration and site supervision. For homes, construction is carried out by a builder we trust or one you choose. For developments, we coordinate with your structural and MEP engineering consultants and with your builder.

How much does it cost to design with Arkham?

Every project is unique and the fees depend on it. In the first conversation we assess the plot, your needs and your budget, at no cost. In the working meeting with Jorge Duarte Torre you receive the order of magnitude of the fees, with no second appointment just to talk about money.

How long does the design take?

For a house, a schematic design is presented in 6 to 8 weeks, and the complete construction documents, which depend on the size and complexity of the house, typically take between 5 and 6 months. For a development, a schematic design is presented in 8 to 12 weeks, and the construction documents, which depend on the scale and complexity, typically take between 8 and 10 months.

Sources

  1. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects' deliverables document, its service covers architectural design and construction documents, coordinating engineering and special projects; engineering, special projects, permit expediting and permits are not provided by Arkham. (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  2. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, its residential projects are mostly houses of about 400 to 600 m² of built area, although it has designed residences from about 200 m² to more than 1,000 m²; the residential lots it works with are usually about 300 to 1,000 m². (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  3. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, the minimum size of the projects it looks for is 400 m². (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  4. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, for architecture it can consider restaurants from about 300 m², ideally from 400 to 500 m² and up, and it looks for offices from 400 m², preferably 500 m² or more. (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  5. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, for hotels and hospitality it looks for larger projects, ideally from 1,000 m², although the criterion also depends on the number of rooms, common areas, scope and investment. (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  6. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, for interior design of offices, restaurants and lobbies it can consider projects from about 100 to 150 m² of intervention. (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  7. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, its ideal interior design projects for offices, restaurants and lobbies are over 200 m². (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  8. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, for residential interior design it can consider interventions of 100 to 260 m². (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  9. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, for residential interior design it ideally looks for projects over 300 m² of intervention. (accessed on October 2, 2026)
  10. Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, its minimum sizes are a reference, not a strict rule: it can consider smaller projects when their scope, complexity, budget or strategic relevance make them a good fit. (accessed on October 2, 2026)

Keep reading

  • GuidesGuides to building in Mérida

    Guides to building a house in Mérida, Mexico, with dated sources: building as a foreigner, construction costs, architect fees and chukum.

  • GlossaryChukum

    What chukum is: a Yucatán lime and sascab render bound with extract from the Havardia albicans tree. How it is made, where it is used and its limits.

About Arkham Projects

Arkham Projects is an architecture firm founded in 2013 in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, by Min Peniche Calafell and Jorge Duarte Torre; it designs custom homes and architecture for real estate developments.

  • more than 100 projects
  • more than 70 national and international awards and recognitions
  • founded in Mérida in 2013

Meet the team

Talk to us about your project

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