Portal of Light, a house with views to the Caribbean Sea, jungle and lagoon. Bautista House by Productora
21/06/2020.
[Sian Ka’an - Tulum] Mexico
metalocus, VALERIA OZUNA
metalocus, VALERIA OZUNA
Project description by Productora
The project was developed on a narrow beachfront lot on the Riviera Maya, near Tulum, in Quintana Roo, and is fully powered by solar and wind energy. The entire project was cast in an organic blue color concrete, which reacts over time according to its exposure to the sun and its position in the house, creating tones that range from ocean blue to sunset pink.
By raising the house on cross-shaped columns, the impact on the environment is reduced and views are generated over the dune that separates the property from the sea. The project is organized on three levels that are connected by a spiral staircase: the auxiliary ground floor below the house, the intermediate level containing all interior spaces, and a large roof terrace with a pool and an outdoor dining room presenting views of the Caribbean Sea, the jungle and the lagoon. Close to the master bedroom, a distinct turret is situated: it works as a formal element that anchors the ensemble into place and doubles as a flexible space for work or meditation.
The intermediate L-shaped floor plan extends beyond the ground floor through large terraces and pergolas made with local wood. In this way, the interior spaces are enlarged and protected from the sun; and good cross ventilation is achieved (only the bedrooms have an air conditioning system). These terraces have a folding mechanism that protects the house in the event of hurricanes: by raising and lowering these heavy elements against the facade, the open and transparent residence is transformed into a robust closed box.
Productora is a Mexico City based architectural studio, integrated by four architects of different nationalities: Abel Perles (1972, Argentina), Carlos Bedoya (1973, Mexico), Victor Jaime (1978, Mexico) and Wonne Ickx (1974, Belgium). PRODUCTORA´s work is distinguished by an interest in precise geometries, the production of clearly legible projects with limited gestures and the search for timeless buildings in their material and programmatic resolutions.
Currently the office is working on projects in Mexico and abroad, from residential projects to public and corporate buildings. Its work has been presented in the Architectural Biennials of Beijing (2006) and Venice (2008), in the National Art Museum of Beijing, in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and in countries like Italy, Spain and the USA. In year 2008, the studio was selected by Herzog & de Meuron to participate in the Ordos100 Project to build a villa in Inner Mongolia, China. In the same year, PRODUCTORA won in collaboration with Lucio Muniain et al the International Competition for the New CAF Headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela (a project that is currently under development). Productora has been awarded by the Architectural League of New York with the Young Architects Forum in 2007 and the Emerging Voices in 2013.
Productora frequently operates in the contemporary art realm and has collaborated with artists such as Iñaki Bonillas, Marta Minujín, David Lamelas, Rita McBride, Francis Alys, and Pablo Bronstein, among others. The studio has realized museographies at the Beaux Arts Palace of Brussels, the Cultural Centre Clavijero in Morelia, and the Tamayo Museum, Sala de Arte Publico Siquieros, San Ildefonso and ARCHIVO in Mexico City.
In 2011 Productora founded, alongside curator and art critic Ruth Estevez, LIGA - Space for Architecture - Mexico City, a platform that promotes emerging Latin-American architecture.