On the coast of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Casa Kel-Mar emerges as a retreat designed and built by a local firm that understands the essence of place. Set on a 369 m² lot, the residence unfolds as a dialogue between two main volumes, connected by a bridge that hovers over the pool. This layout not only organizes the architectural program but also transforms circulation into a scenic experience.
The first volume, a single-story structure, concentrates the social life of the home: a double-height living room, dining area, kitchen, guest bathroom, and service spaces. Its sloping roof rises gradually to reveal a spacious, light-filled interior, where daily gatherings are enhanced by visual connections to the outdoors. Across the bridge lies the second volume, arranged on two levels: the ground floor houses two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, while the upper floor contains the principal suite with a walk-in closet and private terrace. Each bedroom has independent access, giving the house a unique flexibility—it can function as a family residence or be rented as a boutique villa, always preserving the privacy of its users. The T-shaped pool is the undisputed protagonist. Water accompanies every path, reflecting daylight and transforming into a luminous stage set at night. It is not an isolated feature but the backbone of the project: it links the volumes, softens transitions, and creates an atmosphere where the urgency of daily life dissolves.
The materials speak of context and memory. Rammed-earth walls in the living room, bedrooms, and exterior areas imprint earthen textures that merge with the landscape. Handmade concrete lattice screens filter light and generate cross ventilation, casting a shifting play of shadows. Pergolas made of coconut husk, macuil wood in the custom furniture, light brown stone paving, and pivoting aluminum doors resistant to the coastal climate complete a material language that combines honesty, durability, and tropical elegance.
A multisensory design unfolds in every detail. Sight is stimulated by reflections of water and transparency; sound is carried by the constant murmur of the pool; touch recognizes the rawness of stone and the warmth of wood; smell is enriched by tropical vegetation that invades the house and transforms it into a habitable garden. The curved staircase —both sculptural and functional—together with the double heights and lattice screens, create a spatiality that shifts throughout the day, reminding us that architecture can be a living experience.
The challenge was considerable: a turnkey project for Australian clients, developed entirely remotely. The time difference and the impossibility of physically experiencing the materials required clear and constant communication, with trust becoming the invisible foundation of the work.
Casa Kel-Mar draws inspiration from the beach as an atmosphere of escape and from the possibility of inhabiting it with timeless sophistication.
