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Architects: Hans Kabsch Vela
- Year: 2014
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Manufacturers: Holcim, American Standard, Cementos Cruz Azul, Fester, Helvex, Henkel, Home Depot, Interceramic, Llano de la Torre, Pinturas Berel, Rugo, VALVO
Text description provided by the architects. The project is on a site 10 meters wide by 26 long with a plan distributed from southwest to northeast in order to regulate temperature and natural light in the dwelling, both aspects aided by the two existing trees relevant in size on the site: A ficus to the south and a cedar on the north end.
The property is set back five meters from the street for a garden and parking, it is also elevated one meter from the street level. To bridge this difference, we design a ramp as a straight path to the access to a main facade that consists of three elements: a concrete wall modulated 1.22 x 2.44 meters, punctured by holes of different sizes, these make the heavy wall conductive of air and light.
Above the concrete wall, a volume projects topped by an undulating red brick wall and the remaining straight red partition wall.
The relationship between walls and openings is contrasted letting the wall become protagonist, particularly the partition walls, dominating a reddish hue that gives its name to the project.
This control of the wall gives the facade a cryptic and introverted appearance, posing a riddle that is solved only inside. The ground floor is the public area: it consists of the access, a distributor lobby giving access in two directions, the first, to a guest bathroom and wardrobe with access to the service area; the second, to a double height living room, next to a small open garden in the manner of a light well, and access to the stairs, which are located along the longitudinal axis of the house. In an open, sequential line after the living room are the dining room and kitchen, the latter is located toward the north end of the house, where the full width of the floor opens to a terrace and the rear garden which displays the largest tree, the cedar.
Upstairs is the private part of the project, made up of two bedrooms and a bathroom facing to the north, and a master bedroom with dressing room and bathroom, this bedroom is on the south end and communicates with the other two through a corridor bordering the double height of the living room.
The primary aesthetic value is achieved using materials without cladding, the importance of the structure and the sense of light gives the work a sculptural sense, texture and color dialog between concrete and brick, both inside and outside, and at different times of day: morning and afternoon brings in natural light from different planes; at night, the opposite happens, the artificial lighting leaks to the outside through the pockets and holes punctured on the main wall.
In short, the project invites introspection, promoting changing atmospheres while maintaining the intimate sense of the house.
