r zero studio: la peña house

‘la peña house’ by r-zero studio, valle de bravo, mexico all images © jaime navarro

mexican practice r-zero studio has completed ‘la peña house’, a single family dwelling situated at the bottom of a cliff in valle de bravo, mexico. due to the irregular topography, it has been constructed in three levels to blend with the landscape and to highlight and frame the lake in the distance. the orientation of the terrain and its location on a small inland peninsula provides the building with a micro-climate of its own that is maintained through the large windows, concrete walls and stone surfaces. the materials are able to retain the heat during the evening and preserve a cool environment during the day.

the architectural volumetric configuration of the façade that faces the lake which is integrated with the terraces, provides a visual extension of each interior living space. the concrete slab that crowns the structure has been overlaid with natural wood to enhance the personal areas of the house. the exterior edifice has been clad with a stone finish that unfolds like a piece of origami to camouflage the dwelling with the mountain’s features. all the public and circulation areas have been designed to be monochromatic, where the raw concrete walls, the granite and the recycled wood emphasize the sunlight that floods through the brise-soleil screen, creating a natural game of shadows and luster.

exterior view

rotating glass doors

living area

terrace to master bedroom

master bedroom

foyer

concrete and stone materials

interior corridor

brise-soleil screen

(left) hallway (right) washroom

living and dining area

view of the lake

patio

night view

level / 0

level / 1

section

construction image of façade

construction of terraces

imbedding structure into the landscape

interior view

project info:

size: 943 sqm team: edgar velasco casillas, alejandro zarate de la torre,  pablo serrano (serrano monjaraz), gilberto muñoz rodriguez+, jesus gonzalez mendez, isaac guzman ramirez interior design: isabel maldonado structure: giron megaproyectos S.A. de C.V. Ing. humberto giron engineering: integra S.A. de C.V administration + construction: acunsa arquitectos andjorge torrentera photography: jaime navarro