The house is located in a residential gated community in Querétaro, México. The existing tipology is defined by buildings that compete within themselves to be the most original, more detailed, more expensive and excesive. All of this while showing a lack of interest towars the street scale and the shape of the land they are built upon.

For these reasons, the project begins by adapting its shape to the site. There is a 8ft slope that allows the section of the house to step into the site easily. Being the corner of the block, and given the local building restrictions, it was important to emphasize and keep a reasonable human scale towards the street. This is the reason why the house has a lower relationship towards the corner and concentrates its higher mass as far away as possible from this point. This allows a personal relationship with the street.

The project is organized through a grid that defines a central courtyard. In its access level attempts to create a sequence between the gardens and more public spaces in the program. It is possible to have a visual continuity from the rear end of the site to the street. The sequence, together with a low 8.5ft level height, creates a contrast with highly illuminated moments followed by spaces of deep shadow. With very few elements, the complexity achieved tries to relate with Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion where the glass and marble panels, combined with the patios and exterior areas, bring a series of reflections and changes in light that make the space always different. This allows also for the public level to have a complete openness without sacrificing privacy towards the street.

The shape and materiality of the house are defined by the evident logic in its construction. The structural elements are clearly represented and located where they belong. The process of building the house can be read through its final form. The materiality celebrates the skilled artisans craft. Contrasted to the methodic built mass, the gardens react to orientation, temperature and light conditions that the house offers. The landscape is a pallete of species, mainly local, that are organized in such a way to create real ecosystems. They contrast the local tendency of having perfectly curated lawns that demand high water consumption and maintenance.

The house pretends to be a critic towards the way residential dwelling is designed and built in the surrounding community. The project has very generous public spaces, where the family meets and shares the day, but is sufficient in its more private spaces.