HEMAA recently completed the Alencastre 360 residence in the West side of Mexico City. The house responds to three key premises: the preservation of previously existing trees as core elements of the project, the isolation from the street's inherent transit, and the incorporation of an ample architectural program on a plot with limited dimensions.
Within its urban environment, the sense of privacy is successfully achieved thanks to a monolithic and nearly blind façade which extends out the street, only interrupted by some openings at specific modules for lighting and ventilation purposes, which respond to the interior's architectural design plan. In contrast, the South façade is more open, offering a broad view of the garden and its long-standing trees, while it bathes the interior of the house in light and provides natural landscapes to each and every habitable area.
A transition threshold that works as a hinge-connection between the exterior and the interior leads to the main entrance situated on one of the sides of the construction. The central space consisting of living room, dining room, and kitchen opens up to a full view of the garden and its impressive visual core element: a three-trunk Peruvian Peppertree, which proudly steals the spotlight as this land's five-decade guardian.
The vertical circulation indicates the path towards the family area and the most private areas of the house, always framed by exterior garden views. The second floor accommodates the main terrace, topped by a white concrete pergola, as the tree canopy weaves and blends with the structure's beams, creating a light and shadow grid.
Photography: Rafael Gamo