architecture 4 us

Casa en el Bosque or “house in the forest” was designed by Parque Humano. This house is located in in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, near Avándaro Lake and the protected forest area of Cerro Gordo. This design should have strong connection to its surrounding nature.

The site is a splendid plot covering 3,500 m2 with rich and varied flora, very tall trees, and a view towards the layered hills of Valle de Bravo – a town 150 km south-west of Mexico City. The climate is cool in winter (-2°C) while summer temperatures can reach 33°C, heavy rain falls daily between June and October.

The house occupies a natural ledge in the hillside, facing the view to the south and turning its back to the winds coming in from the north. The ground drops away beneath the floor, emphasizing the slope of the land and thereby dramatizing the house’s progress through the site. The house evokes the feeling of floating above the garden, accentuating a sense of contact with nature.

To provide the continuity between the landscape and the building, the design took advantages the slope of the land in order to create visual connections at different elevations with the existing vegetation and landscape beyond.

It is also stressed by using of a glazed structural window system transcending conventional distinctions between inside and outside. This window is a sliding window, covered in the inside by local timber and stone. By this system, the indoor area can be connected intimately to the outdoor area.

This house has 2 unequal size pavilions. The biggest one contains the living and dining spaces, kitchen and a working studio. The other one contains two bedrooms. Each of the pavilions is set considering the view and the existing trees.

The visitor of the house will get several experiences at arrival, such as the escarpment, the flora, the house, the reflecting pool. A steel enclosure is used for the entrance’s protection.

The cladding of the house evolved progressively in order to adapt the code regulations of the area. An artisanal clay veneer was specially developed for the project, similar in texture to the traditional houses that is noticed in the area. Its reaction to the weather causes the material to change constantly in response to varying levels of humidity.

This house was finished by the Mexican labors, using Mexican materials. The house has a steel frame structure. The foundation is a concrete block foundation. A well insulated floor is used to prevent the isolate the warmth.

site elevation

pool area elevation

floor plan

roof plan

ref 1 2 3

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