Casa Alpha
Oscar Hernández

Alpha House is an indoor-outdoor project, a concrete shelter floating on the dense vegetation of the property, creating an atmosphere where the user merges with nature.

Arkham Projects as Architects

Alpha House was born as a project that from its conception seeks to be an open and welcoming dwelling, an exercise in contrasts between solids and voids, heavy and light volumes, where the social areas enjoy the best views of the property to favor the relationship between the outdoor vegetation and the family that would inhabit the space, maintaining the experience of introspection that they were looking for in a home.

photo_credit Oscar Hernández
Oscar Hernández

From the outside, it is shown as a large solid volume of raw concrete that, as you discover and walk through it, reveals its views in all the spaces towards the green areas and great panoramic views. A big concrete box that floats on top of the vegetation.

photo_credit Oscar Hernández
Oscar Hernández

Located in a private in Mérida, Yucatán that has the particularity of having a central park covered by abundant vegetation which is also the visual highlight of our property, we chose to generate a clearer space where unlike the surrounding houses that close to the park, it opens to the context for the natural enjoyment that the area offers without losing privacy inside.

photo_credit Oscar Hernández
Oscar Hernández

The land has a privileged orientation, north-south, which allowed to generate between gardens the social area of the project; a welcoming atmosphere that becomes the heart of the house. Along with the landscaping design, a vegetation slope was created that was dense enough to block the direct visuals to the road and the security control of the road.

photo_credit Oscar Hernández
Oscar Hernández

The volume responds to its orientation by generating flares and shadows towards the south, taking into account the inclination of the sun and protecting itself towards the north with lattices as privacy towards possible views of the neighbors. From the façade, the view of the garage fades when it is intentionally located in the western part of the project to be perceived at first glance as a heavy volume sustained by the lightness of the foliage.

photo_credit Oscar Hernández
Oscar Hernández

As for the architectural program, the house welcomes the user with a lofty space that vestibules the access between the social area and the guest room, strategically located to generate a comfortable and private space for guests with direct access to the south garden. In addition, this house houses at the other end an open kitchen overlooking the pool area and a concrete arm that grows to the south creating a second social area designed for night events.

photo_credit Oscar Hernández
Oscar Hernández

On the second floor are the private spaces, having two twin bedrooms for the daughters, a comfortable study that serves as a vestibule and meeting space, as well as the master bedroom that has a large dressing room overlooking the interior gardens, which in turn also houses a workshop.

Products Behind Projects
Product Spotlight
News
Fernanda Canales designs tranquil “House for the Elderly” in Sonora, Mexico
12 Dec 2024 News
Fernanda Canales designs tranquil “House for the Elderly” in Sonora, Mexico

Mexican architecture studio Fernanda Canales has designed a semi-open, circular community center for... More

Australia’s first solar-powered façade completed in Melbourne
12 Dec 2024 News
Australia’s first solar-powered façade completed in Melbourne

Located in Melbourne, 550 Spencer is the first building in Australia to generate its own electricity... More

SPPARC completes restoration of former Victorian-era Army & Navy Cooperative Society warehouse
11 Dec 2024 News
SPPARC completes restoration of former Victorian-era Army & Navy Cooperative Society warehouse

In the heart of Westminster, London, the London-based architectural studio SPPARC has restored and r... More

Green patination on Kyoto coffee stand is brought about using soy sauce and chemicals
10 Dec 2024 News
Green patination on Kyoto coffee stand is brought about using soy sauce and chemicals

Ryohei Tanaka of Japanese architectural firm G Architects Studio designed a bijou coffee stand in Ky... More

New building in Montreal by MU Architecture tells a tale of two facades
10 Dec 2024 News
New building in Montreal by MU Architecture tells a tale of two facades

In Montreal, Quebec, Le Petit Laurent is a newly constructed residential and commercial building tha... More

RAMSA completes Georgetown University's McCourt School of Policy, featuring unique installations by Maya Lin
10 Dec 2024 News
RAMSA completes Georgetown University's McCourt School of Policy, featuring unique installations by Maya Lin

Located on Georgetown University's downtown Capital Campus, the McCourt School of Policy by Robert A... More

MVRDV-designed clubhouse in shipping container supports refugees through the power of sport
9 Dec 2024 News
MVRDV-designed clubhouse in shipping container supports refugees through the power of sport

MVRDV has designed a modular and multi-functional sports club in a shipping container for Amsterdam-... More

Archello Awards 2025 expands with 'Unbuilt' awards categories
9 Dec 2024 Archello Awards
Archello Awards 2025 expands with 'Unbuilt' project awards categories

Archello is excited to introduce a new set of twelve 'Unbuilt' project awards for the Archello Award... More