Project size: 11,600 square feet

Program: The house blends into the site’s natural topography. The lower level is carved out of the ground, and includes leisure spaces such as a family room, a wine cellar, a game room, and a garden terrace. At street level, the house becomes transparent and open; the kitchen, living, and dining rooms are level with the treetops, providing open views of the surrounding hills. The upper level cantilevers over the trees, and contains the private quarters.

Location: Mexico City

Solution: The initial parti was based on the conventional house archetype: a simple box enclosed with a double-pitched roof. The volume is sliced and set apart in two separate concrete masses, which contain the private spaces. These volumes frame the natural views and are raised from the ground to generate a transparent and open view for the living spaces on the level below. The base of the house is inset into the ground, providing access to the garden.

Construction and materials: The structure is poured-in place concrete, which is left exposed throughout the interior. The exterior roof and side elevations are clad in Accoya sustainable wood. Where there are windows, the cladding turns, becoming a wood screen; this provides privacy while maintaining open views to the landscape. Stone is used at the base of the house as a way to integrate and emphasize the connection to the terrain.

Additional Information

Completion date: May 2016

Gross square footage: 11,600 square feet

Total project cost: withheld

Total construction cost: withheld

Client/Owner: withheld