What might a 19th-century German architect teach us about a 21st-century Mexican house? Plenty. Gottfried Semper published The Four Elements of Architecture in 1851, arguing that the first buildings consisted of roofs, which involved carpentry; walls, involving weaving; mounds, involving terracing and masonry; and hearths, involving ceramics. While Semper’s interest in architectural anthropology may seem far removed from contemporary architecture, his ideas help explain what makes this house in Comala, in west-central Mexico, such a compelling residential complex.