The PPAA home was built for two rock-climbing brothers who decided to take the occasional quiet vacation in the wilderness northwest of Mexico City. The 90-square-meter structure was constructed using stone from a nearby quarry.
PPAA Architects describes the house as a “completely isolated Stone Retreat surrounded by nature.” This rectangular stone volume with a sloping roof profile and a mezzanine is built near a pond. To avoid the need to transport materials, the architects used stone blocks from a nearby quarry.
The architects chose local clay and local lumber. “We left each material raw, uncoated,” the designers say. The layout of the house is simple and designed to maximize views of the landscape.
"The architectural design was based primarily on the qualities of the environment, so we sought to establish a mutual dialogue between the structure and its natural surroundings. Simplicity, minimal maintenance and closeness to the land and nature were important to us."
At ground level, two symmetrical glass doors allow natural ventilation. Sliding wooden panels can be used to cover the glass when the owners are away. The doors lead into the main living space, in the center of the rectangular layout.
The area is bordered on one side by a small built-in kitchenette, and on the other by a fireplace with armchairs in front of it. Behind the fireplace is one of the bedrooms. The back wall, which opens onto a small courtyard, is glazed from floor to ceiling. The family is delighted with the large terrace, which doubles the area of the house.
At the opposite end of the bedroom is the bathroom. The second brother's bedroom is built on the mezzanine, which is accessed via a wooden staircase. This room gets a lot of light from a large window.
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