The raised plan of this Mexican house makes it a perfect weekend retreat in the midst of nature, from where one can observe and enjoy nature at the same time. Trying to be as respectful of nature as possible, AS/D Asociacion de Diseno architects depart from a minimal square footprint of 6 by 6 meters and try to fit in the living space on tree floors, stacked vertically. The house is a box standing tall on a concrete platform, which protrudes slightly towards the front forming a small deck, with a glass balustrade in front that does not obstruct the views on the valley and does not interfere with the geometry of the house. The interior circulation on the three floors is organized by a stacked staircase, that changes look between the bottom floor and the upper ones. Though the house doesn’t have balconies, the outdoors life is not neglected. At the front of the house, on a slightly lower level, there is a 200 square meters platform with a pool, an outdoors dining table and lounge as well as a barbecue. When the weather is good this platform becomes the main living area of the house, concentrating all activities, from cooking to eating and leisure time. The flat roof of the house is also transformed into a decked terrace, like an observatory. The concrete structure of the box is doubled on the outside by a ventilated facade made of Trespa panels attached to an aluminum sub-structure. Some of these panels are perforated through CNC technology to obtain the abstract image of a tree, as if trying the blend the house into the natural environment.
The main openings of the three floors are oriented in different directions, the bottom and top floors overlooking the valley at the front, and the middle floor taking a lateral view. The rest of the windows are smaller and they look like random punches into the facades.
The pool platform is like a fourth floor of the house, combining cooking and eating spaces as well as for lazy relaxation and leisure.
Inside the house, the three floors are organized vertically and each one takes a different function. The bottom floor serves as kitchen and dining room, the middle one as living room and the top one as bedroom. The access from one floor to the other is done by a stacked staircase, different from one floor to the other. On the bottom floor the space under the stairs is closed and used as storage. On the upper floors the stairs are like a ladder, and the space underneath is left open, thus gaining space in the living room and the bedroom.
The materials used for the interior decoration and furnishings are concrete and wood. Concrete is left bare on the wall opposite the staircase and in the frame of the kitchen island, while wood covers floors and stairs. The wooden dining table is linear, while the seating varies from a long bench on one side to three different designer chairs on the other.
The living room is at the middle level of the house, where the main entrance is. The space is organized around a central fireplace, set in a concrete frame and integrating fire wood storage.
The stairs from the bedroom lead to the roof top terrace, from where one can observe the valley like from an observation spot.
