When they were handed the brief of creating a dynamic modern family home, Mexican studio rdlp arquitectos looked to one of the most important natural icons of central America for inspiration. Casa Puebla is built around the concept of ‘inside life,’ where the visual and recurring motif throughout the design comes from that of the famous Popocatépetl volcano.
The residence was conceived through the aesthetic values of Mexican culture translating them into an avant-garde concept by carefully selecting materials as well as encouraging to live on the inside through the openings towards the garden. The carefully selected colour and material palette seeks to blend the architecture with its context, acting as an implicit tribute to the volcano.
In terms of the layout, the volumetric design is based around the intersection of two rectangular volumes, creating an L-shape structure. The layout is perceived as a visual contradiction, where the heavier looking block was intentionally set on the lighter looking one, placing a closed concrete volume on top of one made of glass, generating a contrasting visual dynamic.
The best part of the project is the fact that all of these details may go unnoticed at first glance, or even first visit. For example, when approaching the house, the exterior appears strong and with a solid character and it offers no clues as to what may exist inside. However, upon entering the house, the fluid and continuous spaces unfold opening up to the exterior ground and landscape. Dissolving the boundaries between the indoors and out as well as melting away the usual constructs of a modern family home.
Photography by Jorge Taboada
Curious for more? Then check out the panoramic views of Naturehumaine’s La Binocle Cabin.
