Monterrey, Mexico
Mexican architecture studio Práctica Arquitectura has designed a minimalist country house outside Monterrey, Mexico, commissioned by a family who wanted an airy holiday home so the architects make good use of open-air patios, easy-flowing interior spaces, and openings that allow natural light to illuminate the common living spaces.
“El Aguacate seeks to be the interface between its inhabitants and the place in which it is deployed; a welcoming space for rest and coexistence,” the architecture team explains.
The living space with its 4.5m-high conical skylight becomes the heart of the relatively compact —at 165 sqm— home.
The opening helps filter light down and throughout the interior, all day, aided by the large windows that wrap the house.
The three patios and a main, paved, and sheltered terrace provide direct contact with the outdoors.
A textured treatment in the building’s distinctive pink-ish render means the volume’s clean geometries feel warm and tactile – instead of harsh and clinical.
“The sobriety and solidity of the exterior together with the landscape design in apparent stone accentuate the stony and monolithic appearance of the house, creating a dialogue through color and texture with the intense green of the garden and the character of the site,” states the team.
The architects’ design is not about scale or budget, but the perfect execution of an idea for a simple, both practical and uplifting, everyday space.
Project: Casa El Aguacate
Architects: Práctica Arquitectura
Client: Private
Photographers: Cesar Bejar
