A house in Mexico designed by Di Frenna Arquitectos

Natural stone, blocks of packed earth and wicker ceilings — this building seems to grow out of the slope, using local natural materials

Photo

Lorena Darkea

This house in the Mexican town of Comala is designed by Di Frenna Arquitectos and hides among giant cacti and tall trees. Its facades and interiors use all the colors and materials of the local nature — there are gray shades of stone, reddish blocks of earth, and "plaiting" on the ceilings.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

"Some of these materials were obtained in the vicinity of Komala, in particular, walls made of rammed earth. These blocks are formed using the traditional technique of compaction of the earth, acquiring the density and structural integrity of concrete," the architects of the studio say.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

The layout of the house with an area of 400 m2 takes into account the variety of plants and trees growing on the site, for this the architects created courtyards and openings throughout the house. "As soon as you enter the house, the natural environment immediately fascinates, creating moments of quiet surprise," the authors of the project say.

Two additional bedrooms are located in separate volumes in the courtyard, which provides them with more privacy.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

The second floor is the main level of the house with a courtyard that leads visitors through the house and opens a view of the neighboring historical hacienda that once belonged to the artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo. On the partially buried ground floor there are two guest bedrooms and bathrooms.

On the second floor there are the main rooms of the house.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

Large openings on the sides of the dining room give the impression of a continuous space between the interior and exterior rooms. "The residents of the house can walk barefoot on the same natural stone floor without feeling whether they have left the house outside or are inside," the architects say.

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On one side of the dining room there is a painting studio. On the opposite side, the architects placed a kitchen and a living room facing a porch with a roof overhang.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

Di Frenna Arquitectos used shades of raw materials for the project, which rely on local construction traditions, require less maintenance and look more natural. Some of the ceilings are decorated with wicker, some with wooden beams, which, according to the architects, reminds of Japanese houses.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

Photo

Lorena Darkea

"In order to achieve the perception of the house as a volume that organically emerged from the ground, the solution is based on raw, natural colors," the architectural studio explained. Other shades, such as eggshell-colored plaster decorating the walls of the house, are also the result of turning to traditional technologies and local materials.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

The bathrooms have outdoor showers and bathtubs surrounded by greenery.

Photo

Lorena Darkea

Elena Igumnova
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