The bungalow is the first of a shelters series planned for the whole of spectacular terrain, located in Tepoztlan, a small town located about 50 km from Mexico City.

The architectural office Cadaval & Solà-Morales were responsible for carrying out this and other settlements character holiday in a privileged environment.
 

Description of the proyect by Cadaval & Solà-Morales

The bungalow is the first of a series of cabins to be built over a spectacular site in Tepoztlán, a small paradise located at about 50 km from Mexico City. The town has fantastic weather conditions, and a unique character built thru its pre-Hispanic origins that were followed by a colonial center that is still the heart of the village; its charm attracts the presence of intellectuals and thinkers to stay over the weekend, or for longer periods of time. 

The bungalow is conceived as a refuge for temporary sojourns in Tepoztlán. In the site there is already an area for common uses, including a large garden with a lounge and a pool which were also designed by our office. The bungalow is designed as part of the same project. A minimal private space for a couple or a small family is the program; however, views, light, nature and quietness are the reason of the project. 

Exposed to the breathtaking views of the valley and the common area of the property, this contemporary cottage is located on a leveled surface already existing within the forest that occupies the site. The building is a small box that hovers over this plain, opening to the views and interacting with the steep slope of the terrain below. It is built on concrete seeking for low maintenance, and with the outer shell painted black to minimize the visual impact on the landscape. It is a framed box with its sides shut to maintain privacy with the succeeding bungalows, but fully open to the frontal views. The project aims to reinforce the belvedere condition in each of its main spaces. 

Being a temporary shelter, the project prioritizes both the living area and the master bedroom. Hence, the box brakes down in two at the front to make explicit the separation between those two main frontal spaces, allowing the vegetation to occupy the rift. To strengthen the necessary relationship with nature, these two key spaces have large front terraces that extend their experience and approach to the edge of the natural platform on which the bungalow stands. The cabin is a small plinth, a shelter among the trees to enjoy the views, the weather and the exuberant nature of the place.

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Architects
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Eduardo Cadaval & Clara Solà-Morales
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Collaborators
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Manuel Tojal, Tomas Clara
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Local architect
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Eugenio Eraña
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Structure
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Ricardo Camacho
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Area
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80 sqm
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Project date
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2009
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Built date
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2016
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CADAVAL & SOLÀ-MORALES was founded in New York City in 2003 and moved to both Barcelona & Mexico City in 2005. The studio operates as a laboratory in which research and development are key elements of the design process. The objective of the firm is to create intelligent design solutions at many different scales, from large projects to small buildings, from objects to city fractions.

The studio has won numerous awards including the prestigious Bauwelt Prize (Munich 2009), the Young Architects Prize from the Catalan Institute of Architects (Barcelona 2008), the Design Vanguard Award (New York 2008), a Mention of Honor for Young Architects from the IX Spanish Architecture Biennale (Madrid 2007), The Silver Medal of the XI Mexican Architecture Biennale (Mexico 2010) and the Prize of the Ibero American Architecture Biennale (Cadiz 2012).

EDUARDO CADAVAL is a licensed architect with a BA from the National University of Mexico (with special honours) and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University.

He is associate professor of Urbanism at the Barcelona School of Architecture, ETSAB, UPC. Visiting Professor at University of Pennsylvania, and at Calgary University's Barcelona program. Eduardo was awarded with the National Council for the Arts Young Creators Awards, from the Mexican government.

CLARA SOLÁ-MORALES is a licensed architect with a degree in Architecture from the Barcelona's School of Architecture, ETSAB, UPC, and holds a Master in Architecture (MArch II) from Harvard University. She is an associate professor at the Barcelona School of Architecture, ETSAB, UPC.

She has been associate professor at the school of Architecture at the Rovira y Virgili University, as well as professor and Head of Graduate Studies at the Barcelona Institute of Architecture (BIArch).  She is a PhD candidate for the Barcelona School of Architecture, ETSAB, UPC.

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