clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio

fmt estudio preserves most walls' original polished concrete finish, uniting the residence's old and new elements.

FMT estudio edited by christina vergopoulou February 20, 2024 4 min

FMT Estudio Transforms a 1980s Residence in Mérida, Yucatán

La Posmoderna project by FMT Estudio renovates a single-family residence located in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, breathing new life into a 1980s home with a dated floor plan. The project aimed to address the prior layout’s challenges through a reorganization plan, focusing on spaciousness, illumination, and ventilation. The central core was reimagined, expanding the kitchen and seamlessly connecting it to the terrace and pool for enhanced natural light and airflow. The foyer transformed into a pantry and wine cellar. On the first floor, bedrooms were reconfigured to integrate closets and private bathrooms, prioritizing convenience and privacy. Strategic modifications to the staircase with open railings emphasized a sense of spaciousness.

Structural alterations optimized available space, incorporating an extra linen closet into the upstairs foyer. The living and dining areas effortlessly merged with the terrace, garden, and entrance, establishing a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. Generously sized green wrought-iron doors and windows facilitated this connection, allowing the tropical breeze and natural light to permeate the home. The exterior featured a two-story building with a sloped roof, harmonizing with the original architectural language. This extension accommodated two additional studios, accessed via an exterior staircase connecting to the ground-floor dining area. The former service room was repurposed into a studio with a visual link to the pool, providing a tranquil space for relaxation.

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 1 — all images by Amy Bello

La Posmoderna follows an Eco-Friendly, sustainable approach

In its pursuit of sustainable design, La Posmoderna emphasized minimal intervention and eco-friendly materials. Clay bricks were used for exterior floors and studio walls, while the kitchen was clad in matching tiles of the same material. Most walls retained their original finish, with only minor changes in paint. Bathrooms featured marble, the kitchen employed quartz, and polished white concrete adorned floors and some walls. Wood louvers with mosquito screens were strategically installed to ensure adequate ventilation in specific areas.

FMT Estudio’s material choices aimed at creating a harmonious blend of practicality and environmental consciousness. The design team preserved certain architectural elements, such as ironwork windows and doors, entrance columns, and concrete cubes on the terrace, to respect the residence’s original character and unite the old with the new.

Beyond spatial renovation, La Posmoderna reflected the client’s identity through thoughtful landscaping and color choices. Native trees were planted to enrich the environment, offering shade and privacy. A warm, neutral color palette with green ironwork accents was employed. The facade design balanced privacy with glimpses of the outdoors. La Posmoderna stands as an expression of adaptation to the environment, providing a visual and sensory engaging experience that transforms it into a home where architecture and life seamlessly merge.

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 2 — an office addition allows the homeowners to separate work from the domestic sphere

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 3 — the exterior extension accommodates two studios and connects to the dining area

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 4 — red and blue-pigmented cement augments the color palette of the courtyard

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 5 — 1980s Mérida residence is revitalized with a reorganization plan for a contemporary transformation

fmt-estudio-amy-bello-la-posmoderna-mexico-designboom-1800-1 — preserving certain architectural elements respects the residence’s original character, uniting old and new

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 6 — the green-painted ironwork, plants, and pool, create an inviting oasis just off the kitchen and dining room

fmt-estudio-amy-bello-la-posmoderna-mexico-designboom-1800-2 — repurposing the former service room into a studio with a visual link to the pool creates a tranquil space for relaxation

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 7 — cedar doors and colorful furniture bring warmth to the project

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 8 — the new office abuts the street front

clay bricks clad vibrant 1980s home in mexico revived by fmt estudio - 9 — most walls retain their original polished concrete finish

open staircase railings emphasize a sense of spaciousness, contributing to the overall aesthetic and functionality removing a wall beneath the stairs opened up the interior from the foyer through to the rear patio the project addresses prior layout challenges, focusing on spaciousness, illumination, and ventilation rounded columns in the foyer and addition of warmth and color with cedar doors and pigmented concrete floors La Posmoderna reimagines the central core, expanding the kitchen, optimizing natural light and airflow the former foyer serves as a pantry and wine cellar, showcasing the project's thoughtful spatial reconfiguration structural alterations optimize available space, incorporating an additional linen closet into the upstairs foyer La Posmoderna's sustainable design emphasizes minimal intervention and eco-friendly materials living and dining areas effortlessly merge with the terrace, garden, and entrance mint green-painted ironwork and tiles in the kitchen establish a more fluid connection to the garden the updated bedrooms feature cement floors pigmented with minerals and cedar details La Posmoderna provides a visually and sensorily engaging experience where architecture and life seamlessly merge red bricks introduce thermal mass to the south-facing wall of the office addition

project info:

name: La Posmoderna
architect: FMT Estudio | @fmt.estudio

lead architects: Zaida Briceño, Orlando Franco

design team: Gerardo Vázquez

location: Mérida, Mexico

photography: Amy Bello | @amybello.fotografia

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