Site size: 5,382 square feet.

Project size: 6,997 square feet.

Program: A family living in Mexico City asked Jose Juan Rivera Rio and his firm to design a modern house with ample privacy for family and space for guests.

Location: The house occupies a narrow walled-in site in a residential section of the city, Lomas de Chapultepec.

Solution: The architects, inspired by 1960s modernist architecture, designed a rectilinear house featuring thick, concrete or stone walls and deep overhangs. Lush vegetation outdoors and wood floors and slatted screens inside provide a warm contrast to the textured, board-formed concrete structure.

A discreet entrance at street level leads into a foyer, where the living room, a television room, kitchen, and dining room are arranged according to an orthogonal plan. The living room opens out to a walled-in patio, while at the opposite end of the house, the kitchen and dining room overlook a garden. The upper level, accessible via a floating stair, is reserved for the master bedroom and three additional bedrooms, with terraces at either end. The architects took advantage of the drop in grade along the street to tuck a garage into the basement level.

Construction methods: The house features concrete and steel structure, with large portions of glazing on the exterior.

Architect:
Jose Juan Rivera Rio/Arquitectura
www.josejuanriverario.com