Located on a flat site in a subdivision on the edge of Guadalajara , Mexico, the Godoy House can be completely opened up from the back, creating an outdoor lifestyle that comes complete with privacy via the woodland garden that flanks the back of the property. Built with a steel structure that allows for the huge cantilever, the home follows a geometric profile complete with an almost flat roof composed of yellow glazed ceramic. Even the pool follows geometric lines by with its rectangular profile.
The facade of the home is as geometric as the back. Staggered planes both vertically and horizontally offer an almost building block profile. With a void on the left cut into the land and creating a 3-car garage, and voids created by walls of glass, the facade is an interesting play of positive and negative space that is contrasted by the small sloping patch of grass.
The garage enters into a basement zone where a flight of stairs leads to the main volume.
Opposite the garage, a flight of stairs with large 12″ treads leading up to the main entrance. This side of the residence is completely private thanks to the close proximity of the woodland garden.
Once inside the Godoy House it soon becomes clear that the interior zones are designed to take full advantage of the outdoor lifestyle that is so prevalent in Guadalajara. Each space is designed to take advantage of the views, even the choice of marble floors and dark woodworking create a contrast to the lush green grass and vibrant blue pool which only enhances the outdoor setting.
The dark wood panels create a feature wall in the interior living zone. The warmth of the wood and the coolness of the marble balance each other, as does the black and white décor.
Just beyond the feature wall is the wall of lattice that all but disappears when raised up, but offers shade with cross ventilation when closed. This lattice feature is not the only wall treatment, a long and accordioned window folds back and out of the way, coming to rest at the entrance to the covered terrace. The terrace is covered in marble and the marble flooring extends into the garden from the interior zones to create an outdoor walkway that connects the various public spaces of the residence. Above the outdoor lounge area, the Master suite is cantilevered for unobstructed views of the woodland and the pool
The Master Suite is large, spacious and wrapped in glass. The room is deep enough that the bed is removed from the poolside view line and while the pool is not visible from the bed, the trees that wrap the home on two sides are. The lively addition of rose red pops via the two chairs and the bed throw add in a 60s flare to an otherwise contemporary setting of black, white and natural woods.
The rose red chairs are located in such a way that they can keep an eye on the goings on in the rest of the house.
While the homeowners can enjoy a quiet and private bedside setting to watch TV, they can also travel down the hall to the family room for a more social environment. Here, too, rose red is introduced via the couches, art and fresh cut flowers.
Rose red is a repeating element throughout the home, whether on the back of the kitchen island or on the upholstery of the various furnishings.
the red shades and warm wood tones are a nice foil to the lush green grass and the vibrant blue pool.
As the sun slowly goes down for the day, the interior lights come on and bathe the residence with a flood of light that spills into the yard. Uplights beneath trees and sidelights in the pool adds in a touch of drama and creates interesting shadow lines.
The evening is when the outdoor terrace is in its glory. Open on 3 sides and well lit from the pot lights in the ceiling, this transitional space is a gathering point for those that prefer the outdoor ambiance and those that prefer indoor comforts.
With the pool, kitchen and seating areas all so closely connected the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces are completely blurred. Even the stairwell linking the upper volume is just a few feet from poolside.
The front of the home is as bathed with light as the backyard. Lights embedded on either side of the stairs lead the way to the front entrance and 4 pot lights light up the landing.
Even the garage is flooded with evening light.
Hernandez Silva Arquitectos
Photography by Carlos Diaz Corona
