Architecture and Authority: Social Hierarchies in Colonial Mexcio
What role did the architecture of Mexican Haciendas Play In shaping and Maintaining hierarchies in colonial Mexico
R.G. Falquez (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
M. Tenzon – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
This thesis explores how the architecture of colonial Mexican haciendas was used to shape and reinforce social hierarchies. Focusing on the Yucatán region and the case study of Hacienda San Juan Bautista de Tabi, it examines how spatial layout, material distinctions, and architectural symbolism functioned as tools of control and dominance. The study argues that haciendas were not neutral production sites but were carefully designed to reflect and maintain colonial power structures. The research highlights architecture’s active role in sustaining inequality, authority, and discipline within the hacienda system.