Rooted in Oaxacan materiality and landscape, the project redefines the home as a living extension of its site.
Every line of this project begins with the land itself. Rather than asserting presence, the house listens – to the wind, the light, and the quiet rhythm of its surroundings. It is an architecture of discovery rather than dominance, a medium through which the natural character of the site is revealed and celebrated. The built form does not dominate the terrain; it opens up to it. The placement of the pavilions prioritizes open-air experiences, carving pathways that move between enclosed spaces and zones of contemplation. Each transition defines a boundary – between shadow and sunlight, shelter and exposure, architecture and nature – enriching the sensory experience of the entire site.
The Gardens: Three Expressions of Nature
The project unfolds across three distinct gardens, each offering a different dialogue with the land. The first, an open dune garden, stretches uninterrupted from the living area to the ocean. Its lateral edges are framed by dense tropical foliage that ensures privacy while celebrating native vegetation.
At the heart of the property lies a desert botanical garden – a curated landscape of endemic species. Agaves, cacti, and bromeliads punctuate the pathways connecting the pavilions, while trees such as pochote, copal, and guayacán express the passing of seasons through shifts in color, bloom, and texture. Each plant was selected and positioned with intention, turning the act of walking into a sensory journey through time and terrain.
Craft and Construction: The Soul of Oaxaca
The architectural language is a contemporary ode to Oaxacan craftsmanship – a tectonic expression grounded in material honesty. Local masonry forms the project’s “solids,” resting on a concrete slab that runs as a continuous horizontal spine. Between these volumes, traditional wooden and palm-thatched palapas span lightly, softening the transition from structure to sky.
The private terraces face the botanical garden, their intimacy defined by wooden lattices that filter light and wind. The interplay of concrete, stone, and timber – punctuated by deliberate joints and voids – creates a rhythmic composition that breathes with light and shadow. This repetition and cadence give the architecture both structure and serenity.
The Central Pavilion: A Threshold of Permanence
At the core of the ensemble stands the central pavilion, a space that gathers social life while framing vast views. It becomes both anchor and lens – casting shade across communal areas and aligning visually with the dune and the botanical garden. To the west, it opens toward the horizon of the Pacific Ocean; to the east, it captures the rising silhouette of the Oaxacan mountains.
Here, architecture becomes observation. The pavilions, terraces, and interstitial spaces form thresholds that invite pause and reflection. Even the oculus – pierced through the concrete slab – draws light downward, mapping the sky onto the architecture.
In this house, landscape and structure are inseparable. The result is not a building placed upon the earth, but one grown from it – anchored in craft, alive with shadow, and eternally attuned to its place.
Photo Courtesy: Jaime Navarro
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