House Between Trees / AS Arquitectura – 【Architectural CAD Drawings】

Architects: AS Arquitectura
Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Project Architects: Alejandra Abreu Sacramento, Xavier Abreu Sacramento
Project Area: 550.0 m2
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: David Cervera

Text description provided by the architects. The house is approximately 550 m2 located on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. It is a contemporary house designed with the concept of spatial fluidity, always seeking the integration of exteriors and interiors through the creation of a central courtyard that links spaces and allows views to flow through it to the rest of the site that preserves endemic vegetation without alterations.

The location of the project responds to the conservation of existing vegetation, taking areas with less vegetation to develop the program, and forming the main courtyard around a group of trees as a linchpin.

The concept of fluidity is achieved by opening all the spaces to the main courtyard, integrating the outside with the inside and vice versa, creating virtually larger, more lit and naturally ventilated spaces where all the spaces of the house enjoy views outside. This opening allows for the spaces to operate with natural lighting and ventilation throughout the day, reducing the need for electric power consumption.

Formally the house is a large slab perforated in the center that embraces a body of significant trees, delimits the interior spaces and connects public and private spaces. This slab rests on a series of walls that direct the views onto the central courtyard and to the rest of the site, framing them in a harmonious way.

Moreover, local materials were used for the finishes, like stone placed by craftsmen taking inspiration from the earthworks of the Mayan houses, and which serve as the main structure of the large slab. We also used concrete stucco combined with chukum tree resin that, besides having waterproof properties, achieves greater harmony with the existing elements in the site and provide a naturally warm color.

The house gives the user a feeling of spaciousness through the use of light and contact with nature, allowing a greater sense of comfort and increasing the quality of life of the user. The organic architecture of the house turns the vegetation into the main character of the project, perfectly camouflaging the project with the context.