AT House / Gomez Crespo Arquitectos

Architect: Gómez Crespo Arquitectos – Federico Gómez Crespo
Location: Valle de Bravo, Mexico State, Mexico
Team: Gonzalo Garcés, José Luis Narváez
Built area: 700 sqm
Contractor: Constructora Tuca – Eng. Miguel Campero
Landscaping: Tonatiuh Martínez
Interior design: Ana Irene Burle
Year: 2007
Photographs: Alfonso de Béjar

Valle de Bravo is one of the most frequented weekend refuges for those living in Mexico city and is located approximately at a two hours driving distance. The site is characterized by its abundance of nature: hilly landscapes, large wooded areas and a lake.

Sport and eco-adventure activities are the main attractions for those visiting Valle de Bravo.

Decades of disorganized residential growth have had a significant urban impact. At present, Valle de bravo’s natural environment is deteriorating rapidly. Nevertheless, residential building continues.

Having been entrusted to carry out a residential project on this site, we decided to make an effort to design a house that would generate the least impact possible and could be adapted in the best way possible to the conditions of the land.

This is how the architectural concept of this project was born: a lineal organization with platforms on different levels and with different angles that allowed us to adapt in the best way possible and to integrate nature into the architecture. The immediate advantage of this solution was being able to enjoy views of the lake from each space. Circulation is always located in the rear part of the project.

The architectural design consisted of areas built with a steel structure and glass. This evokes a sense of lightness, transparency and harmony with the surroundings. The roof was constructed with wooden beams, giving warmth to these open spaces.

Areas built using stone allowed the steel sections to be cleverly linked to the rest of the platforms constructed on the land. The concrete sections used for the vertical circulations and service areas afforded the project the volumetric play necessary to maintain a balanced aesthetic.

The colours chosen played an important role in the design process: the metal structure painted as the colour of tree trunks, the concrete sections coloured to reflect the earthy shades of the area, the stone walls and flooring chosen in ochre and earth shades and glass that allows transparency and integration in abundance.

Other important considerations form part of this architectural program: solar radiation studies, passive ventilation, the use of solar energy, an organic water treatment and the recycling of water.