The Residencia R35, located in Hermosillo, Mexico, was designed by Imativa Arquitectos to take advantage of its sloping site by nestling the parking on the main level and the social zone on the second into the slope while leaving the private volume on the third floor free and clear. The architects created an outdoor lounge area off of the second storey social zone complete with grass yard and rooftop deck over the pool house. Both the deck and the yard overlook the pool while a staircase flanking a stone wall creates access to the swimming area. With a large outdoor lounge area on the second level, the pool deck is kept to a walkway that leads around the water’s edge and to the pool house itself.
From the street, the home has a modest profile. Positioned close to the road, a short driveway leads straight into the 3 car garage which is separated from the main entrance by a large wood planter.
The planter is given extra drama via the uplighting both within it and just in front of it, hidden in the foliage of the plants. The horizontal boards on the planter create a repeating pattern with the horizontal wood slats on the windows above.
Lights embedded in the wall also light the way up to the main entrance, which is tucked away out of sight behind the large planter. The stairs also lead to a pathway that runs the length of the house before arriving at another flight of stairs that leads back down the slope.
While the main entrance is on the North of the home, a second, more private entry is also located on the South side. This entry leads to the private deck and courtyard overlooking the pool below.
The courtyard is a private grassy oasis wrapped in walls of glass on two sides, one of which is the dining room and the other the family room. Opposite the family room is the stairwell leading down to the pool as well as the pool house roof top deck.
The stairs leading down to the pool create a slash of white and a zig zag of black next to the stone wall that flank them. The abstract composition is completed by the border of green grass, the linear lines of the natural wood deck and the brilliant blue of the pool itself.
The stone wall continues around the far side of the pool before meeting up a wall in the same solid, smooth white as the stairway. The contrast is cooling, calming and welcoming. If it had been all stone it would have felt heavy, if it had been all white it would have felt sterile.
The stones are random in size, shape and depth, creating a relief pattern that captures light and shadow effortlessly.
The white wall are fitted with a row of directional up and down lighting, perfect for midnight swimming, and after your swim, if you are thirsty, you can pull up a chair to the bar counter, and enjoy a cold or hot drink from the kitchen just inside the pool house.
The pool house (on the left) consists of a lounge area and a kitchen with its own window to service an outdoor bar area capable of seating four. Upstairs on the rooftop deck is a second outdoor lounge area as well as firepit.
On those days when it’s preferable to be indoors, the living room is a calm retreat of wood and white. The only colour is within pillows, art and accessories and I love the pop of tangerine in the vase on the coffee table. I also love the wall of horizontal wood planking which just happens to disguise sliding doors that open to reveal the dining room and when open, the dining room windows reveal views of the grassy courtyard beyond.
The family room off of the grassy courtyard also uses bold blasts of colour within its accessories but does so in a more flamboyant way then the living room. Even the fish tank separating the room from the kitchen is filled with brightly colored corals – and fish.
The kitchen is one room that leaves color behind in favor of black, white and wood. The room is kept interesting by swapping the white counter above the wall cabinets with a black one on the island and b y exposing black beams pierced with lighting in a ceiling recess. The addition of a window for a backsplash is not only visually interesting but also a great way to keep the chef connected with the outdoors.
The private volume is above the social zone and the flight of stairs connecting the two areas is another space void of color pops, however the choice of materials more then makes up for the lack of color. Solid wood treads, glass balustrades, steel handrails, concrete walls, windows filled with views of the sky – stunning.
So much light floods through the glazings and in-between the stair treads that the stairwell sparkles with reflections.
Upstairs the Master Suite is a story of textures from the headboard, to the bedding to the area rug. Here, as in the kitchen, a ceiling void exposes a section of structural beams, these beams tonally match the doors flanking the headboard detail while the bed and cantilevered night tables match the floor.
The textural story continues in the ensuite. A wall of stone meets up with marble floors, shower and tub surround – all softened an upholstered seat – very zen.
Imativa Arquitectos
Photography by Alexander Potiomkin
