A new housing development two hours outside of Mexico City purely benefits from the richness of the past and the luxuries of the present. In a historic and protected area of Valle de Bravo, nine townhouses provide a calming respite from the hectic nature of the bustling capital city. Hierve-Diseneria designed the complex with a deft hand that implements the spatial and material restrictions of the site with great finesse.
With the required white stucco, the street facades are regularly pierced with wooden window openings. Deep exposed wood trusses overhang for sun protection. As the building slopes downward with the natural changes in topography, the facade steps back to address traffic graciously, whether pedestrian, or vehicle.
Taking the shape of an L, the houses wrap around two pools, a Jacuzzi, garden, fire pit, and wooden terrace. Yet they are separated from the central public space by a wide timber corridor, dotted with trees, and white stucco walls with large openings that insure every home’s privacy.
Each house includes three bedrooms, two baths, and living spaces and range from 168 to 251 sq.m. The upper floor’s open living, dining, kitchen, and terrace take full advantage of the lake and mountain views. By lowering the height of the ground floor bedrooms, a sense of security and privacy were created. This allowed expanded volumes on the public living areas above. Bedrooms have interior wood shutters that shut out day time heat gain and reinforce night time seclusion, a method used commonly in colonial times.
Architects: Hierve-Diseñeria
Photography: Fernando Cordero and Alejandro Villarreal
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