dear architects: casa 4 planos

‘casa 4 planos’ by deararchitects in santa catarina, mexico all images courtesy dear architects photographer: karen mendoza

‘casa 4 planos’ by mexico-based studio dear architects is a three-storey residence in santa catarina. with the aim of establishing a more direct relationship between the interior and the exterior, the design induces a courtyard garden space through systematically dividing the small plot.

inner exterior facade from terrace

the 200 m2 site is cut into four frames measuring 5m x 10m. by choosing to build right along the street property line, the front yard is repositioned as a void in the middle of the house. two autonomous volumes are created to differentiate between the garage and the living programs. a second level terrace on the garage unit feature full-height walls on three of its four sides to face the garden to the north.

from the terrace level

the sandwiched courtyard serves as an outdoor buffer zone in accessing the house. a large swivel door on the main level connects the living area with the green space outside, extending the interior to the exterior and vice versa.

careful variations in ceiling levels and cuts in the volume assign a specific atmosphere to the interior programs. directly above the main staircase is a 25 feet high open space that feature clerestory-like incisions, allowing a ray of light to trace along the wall throughout the day.

courtyard garden

(left) pivot door leading out to the garden from the living area (right) inner south facade

interior views

garage and entrance

(left) schematic diagram (right) fold out exploded axo

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

floor plan / level +2

section 2 – longitudinal

section 1 – cross

project info:

collaborators: margarita flores, rubén octavio, sepúlveda chapa, abel salazar, lorena darquea, ana paulina reyes plot: 200 m2 foot print: 138 m2 built area: 300 m2