Site size: 17,300 square feet

Project size: 3,750 square feet

Program:
Mexican architects Fernando Velasco and Paola Morales were asked to design a private weekend house in a town near Mexico City along with outdoor areas for relaxation.

Location:
The house, appropriately named CASA ALTA, occupies a 17,300-square-foot, sail-shaped site that rises more than 50 feet on a steep, wooded slope. This vantage point provides views to the west of the valley below.

Solution:
Because of site's steepness, the architect inserted a monolithic form into the hillside to achieve optimal entrances and maximum views of the landscape. Each level has a 400-square-foot, square floor plan. Visitors enter on the first floor, which contains the living areas and then either descend downstairs to the kitchen and dining areas, or go upstairs to the sleeping quarters. A large roof deck is accessible from the master bedroom with views of the valley. The interiors are spare, with exposed concrete walls, and dusky-toned wood floors.

A series of terraces takes you from the dining area to the lowest part of the property, where a 2,150-square-foot platform contains a swimming pool and areas for grilling, dining, and lounging.

Construction Methods:
While the house is supported by a concrete structure, the exterior skin is made up of 232 ventilated panels, perforated to create pixilated images of tree branches.

Architect:
AS/D Asociaci'n De Dise'o
Fuente de Templanza 33-1
Lomas de Tecamachalco
Mexico 53950
phone: 52 (55 )52 94 43 08