Casa Sexta
Located within a residential complex, the name of this house comes from its location within the Sixth Section of Lomas Verdes, in the State of Mexico. We sought to understand the windy landscape to make the most of the natural climate conditions and achieve maximum comfort in a sustainable way.
Having a property located within a closed housing complex dictates its relationship with the neighboring houses and, at the same time, opens the possibility of focusing the design on what happens inside of it, allowing to emphasize the link between the inhabitants —a family of four: father, mother and two teen-aged kids— and their daily activities. Therefore, the geometry of Casa Sexta evolves inward, granting privacy to its spaces while seeking as much natural light as possible.
The juxtaposition between the massive volumes and voids creates a game of shadows, while the light bouncing off the white stucco presents ephemeral landscapes throughout the day. The structure, in addition to providing solidity and a compelling architectural language, hierarchizes the spaces; for example, the only circular column of the project supports a large overhang that houses the main bedroom and serves as coverage for the main entrance.
The program is developed on three levels to maximize the 350m2 of the narrow plot. The walls turn 45º to take in as much sunlight as possible through ten patios spread over the three levels. This way, every single room has access to natural lightning.
Each floor holds a different atmosphere according to its use; the ground floor houses the public areas, such as living room, dining room, and front garden, and the semi-public areas, like the kitchen, back garden, and the study. A black acacia tree serves as the heart of the project, as well as the link between these spaces and the upper floor.
The first floor houses the private areas of the house. All bedrooms have their own independent patio for natural ventilation and illumination. The master bedroom has its own bathroom, dressing room, sauna, and small breakfast area.
The basement contains the service quarters, a guest room, a gym, a video game room, the garage, and a multiple usage room. The distribution of the recreational spaces allows them to be used without interfering with the activities of the rest of the family.
Two staircases link all floors: one made of wood, close to the heart of the project, under zenithal light. The other, a show stopping concrete helix style used for service circulation.
The landscape is an essential part of the project; there is greenery everywhere. The plant palette was designed to grow along with the project. The house's color palette consists of white stucco, green leaves, and warm tones in the furniture selection, where light wood is the main complement to the chromatic range.
