Architect David Martínez Ramos of the Mexican studio Práctica Arquitectura has designed a home in El Barrial, Nuevo León, Mexico, called "El Aguacate".

The house is intended to be a place of rest in a natural, peaceful setting that connects the tenants with their surroundings. To this end, a series of interconnected volumes have been created to allow circulation and the flow of wind and natural light.
The project by David Martínez Ramos and his team has been developed based on a geometric design that allows for a play with light and darkness in the interior and on the large terrace. The large roof over the central space of the house, at 4.5 meters, allows the inhabitants to see the landscape of the place, and the natural light illuminates the space.

The color chosen is grey, with a rustic, finely polished finish that simulates a large monolithic block of stone in the middle of the intense green characteristic of the site.

El Aguacate by David Martínez Ramos. Photograph by César Bejar.

El Aguacate by David Martínez Ramos. Photograph by César Bejar.
 

Description of project by David Martínez Ramos

Under the zenithal light that enters through the roof of the 4.5-meter high central space of the house, its inhabitants can enjoy the surrounding landscape through the large windows that end in two of its perimeter patios and a large terrace that extends into the terrain by means of vegetated platforms. The rooms and services located in three cells that are articulated around the central space replicate the visual experience of closeness to the environment and distant views while maintaining a compact footprint of the building and a discreet presence on the site.

"El Aguacate" seeks to be the interface between its inhabitants and the place in which it is deployed; a welcoming space for rest and coexistence whose composition is made up of interconnected courtyards and volumes and allows the free flow of wind, and natural light and circulations.

From an initial scheme of concentric squares, the design of the house develops by defining a geometric, programmatic and structural order that was later subverted to increase the size of the terrace and thus improve its comfort. All the elements work. The public and private spaces around the living room and central dining room support the large roof with its grey block walls protected by a rustic polished finish. The sobriety and solidity of the exterior together with the landscape design in apparent stone accentuate the stony and monolithic appearance of the house, dialoguing through color and textures with the intense green color of the garden and the extensive character of the site.

To the extent that the differences between the experience of "city" and "country" are blurred by means of transportation and the operational flexibility provided by digital connectivity, we felt it was important to rethink the idea of a weekend house from the environmental, social, economic and aesthetic commitment to provide only what is necessary. We seek to show that the good approach and execution of an idea, regardless of the scale and budget, allows us to say a lot with little.

More information

Label
Architects
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Proyect team
Text
José Flores Buzo, Eduardo Sosa, Andrés Dillon.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Collaborators
Text
Lighting Criteria and Landscape Design.- Practice Architecture.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Builder
Text
Civil Work: Federico Guerra.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Area
Text
165 sqm.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Budget
Text
€ 12,528 / sqm.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Dates
Text
2021.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Location
Text
El Barrial, Nuevo León, Mexico.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Photography
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Practica Arquitectura is an architecture studio based in Monterrey, Mexico, founded in 2017 by David Martinez Ramos (1998), a graduate of the Instituto de Estudios Superiores del Tecnológico de Monterrey. The studio understands architecture as a craft, a plural reflection attentive to history and emotions.
Read more
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...