2018 MCHAP
EC House
Bernardo Hernandez (AM30) + EMilia Sartoris (AM30) + Stephane Arriola
Atemajac de Brizuela, Mexico
October 2017
PRIMARY AUTHOR
Bernardo Hernandez Orozco [AM30 Taller de Arquitectura] Emilia Sartoris [AM30 Taller de Arquitectura] Stephane Arriola Ponsin
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
Rafael Martín del Campo (Structural Engineer)
CLIENT
Gabriel Macías Martínez
PHOTOGRAPHER
Lorena Darquea Schettini
OBJECTIVE
The main objective was to place the house with minimum disturbance to the location while allowing the inhabitants to be in constant interaction with the landscape. Our approach was adapting to the natural elements on site, splitting the program into seven different volumes and placing them around the existing pine trees. Three volumes arranged around a circulation core constitute the main house. Designed with spatial richness in mind, the main floor adjusts to the terrain surface and inner patios provide light and ventilation creating atmospheres with unique characteristics. A terraced courtyard functions as a central plaza linking the front and back of the plot, as well as creating a space for interaction between the main house and the guest rooms. Across the main social areas on the ground floor, a visual axis is respected to facilitate communication between spaces.
CONTEXT
The region has a pleasant temperate climate with a mean annual temperature of 19°C, and pine forests cover the rugged landscape. Situated on the outskirts of the town in a densely vegetated area, the site has a gentle slope with views of the surrounding mountains. Architecture in the area is deeply rooted in tradition, and materials found in the landscape greatly influence the way spaces are built. The EC house embraces these cultural features and adapts them to the needs of a family of city dwellers.
PERFORMANCE
Hardwood flooring was used to create a continuous surface that extends the public spaces into outer decks reinforcing the interaction with the surrounding vegetation. A metallic formwork was designed to build the stone walls that enclose the volumes, updating traditional building methods and accelerating the overall construction process. The glass façade of the double-height circulation core serves as an inner courtyard and allows for uninterrupted views of the surrounding forest. Our goal was to bring together the timeless with the modern, the local with the universal, the village and the city into a weekend house in the forest.
