HEMAA Architects keeps nature at its core for this Mexican property
The house by HEMAA Architects is located on a corner in the West side of Mexico City. It responds to three key premises: the preservation of previously existing trees as core elements of the project, the isolation from the street’s inherent transit, and the incorporation of an ample architectural program on a plot with limited dimensions.
Within its clearly urban environment, the sense of privacy is successfully achieved thanks to a monolithic and nearly blind façade which extends out the street, only interrupted by some openings at specific modules for lighting and ventilation purposes, which respond to the interior’s architectural design plan. In contrast, the South façade is more open, offering a broad view of the garden and its long-standing trees, while it bathes the interior of the house in light and provides natural landscapes to each and every habitable area.
The house responds to a structural order consisting of base, body, and capital. Its exterior evinces such order through the use of white exposed concrete structural elements that crown the openings, work as enclosures, and clearly define the house’s levels. The limestone articulation covering the façade is the result of its distribution, which regulates the architectural volume and, in itself, responds to a canvas that adds rhythm within the façade’s assemblage.
A transition threshold that works as a hinge-connection between the exterior and the interior leads to the main entrance situated on one of the sides of the construction. The central space consisting of living room, dining room, and kitchen opens up to a full view of the garden and its impressive visual core element: a three-trunk Peruvian Peppertree, which proudly steals the spotlight as this land’s five-decade guardian.
Photo credit: Rafael Gamo
Organic architecture experts Kristopher Conner and James Perry of Conner + Perry Architects were commissioned by a deeply-rooted Los Angeles couple to design a home that seamlessly fits their family and lifestyle, while also showcasing a world-class art collection and effortlessly blending into a beloved section of Santa Monica Canyon.
Taking cues from the property’s surrounding Oak and Eucalyptus trees, the firm designed a residence that allows for reflection, openness, and serenity. Key design features include windows that frame the magnificent trees, extended canopy-like, cantilevered eaves, and fully pocketing glass exterior walls that open to a central courtyard to offer the perfect balance of indoor-outdoor living.
Given their love for the neighbourhood and its majestic trees, the clients sought to repurpose the felled Eucalyptus wood found on the property into outdoor furniture and key elements within the house, including the grand entry doors. In keeping, exterior materials for the new home were selected for their organic nature, ability to age in place, and compatibility with the climate, such as charred wood siding (Shou Sugi Ban), copper, exposed steel, and concrete.
Following the international design competition, Zaha Hadid Architects has been selected to build the new Shanghai headquarters of the China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group (CECEP).
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