This charming jungle bungalow, perched on a slope within the idyllic Mexican wilderness, is the latest residential offering by architects Cadaval & Solà-Morales.
The LMM bungalow is located in Tepoztlán, a small and picturesque town in the Mexican countryside, blessed with fantastic weather and steeped in local history. Situated only 50 km away from Mexico City, the area attracts a swarm of visitors, who visit often to soak up Tepoztlán’s unique character and climate. The bungalow, which has been designed with short term use in mind, offers views of the neighbouring valley from the site’s shared outdoor lounge area and pool.
The research-based practice, founded in New York in 2003 and now run out of offices in Barcelona and Mexico City, took special care when designing the compact house. The area's planning requirements outlined a structure that would ‘minimise its visual impact on the landscape’, so the architects opted for a distreet black painted and glass facade.
Created for either a small family or a couple, the bungalow was intended as a 'temporary shelter'. The master bedroom and living areas are placed at the front of the property, while the kitchen is located at the far back. This is where the construction's unusual shape comes into play; a narrow gap slashes through the volume, separating the front half of the property into two parts. This move secures privacy between areas by creating a clear division between leisure and sleeping arrangements. At the same time, nature is allowed to seep in.
The bungalow's minimalist ‘framed box’ structure features a floor-to-ceiling glass front, set slightly back from its encasing shell. This allows for an ample terrace that frames the breathtaking surrounding landscape and views, while cleverly sheltering its inhabitants from the sun.
The home, designed for a couple or a small family, has living and sleeping areas situated at the front of the property
The facade was painted black to minimalise the visual effect it has on its surroundings
Privacy is secured through the volume’s ’split’; this cleverly separates the bedroom area from the more public living room next to it
LMM bungalow is the first development to complete on site. In the future, inhabitants will be able to enjoy the use of a communal pool and lounge area, also designed by Cadaval & Solà-Morales
INFORMATION
For more information on LMM Bungalow visit Cadaval & Solà-Morales’s website
Photography: Sandra Pereznieto
-
After the floods, Valencia’s design community unitesValencia's design community launches ‘Auction for Action’ and 'Interioristas en Acción' (IED), initiatives to raise money for those effected by the floods in Spain
-
In Helsinki, Pauline Curnier Jardin has created the grotesque amusement park of her dreamsFrench artist Pauline Curnier Jardin celebrates otherness at Kiasma, Helsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art
-
A celestial New York exhibition showcases Roman and Williams’ mastery of lightingLauded design studio Roman and Williams is exhibiting 100 variations of its lighting ‘family tree’ inside a historic Tribeca space
-
Discover Casa Roja, a red spatial exploration of a house in MexicoCasa Roja, a red house in Mexico by architect Angel Garcia, is a spatial exploration of indoor and outdoor relationships with a deeply site-specific approach
-
HW Studio’s Casa Emma transforms a humble terrace house into a realm of light and spaceThe living spaces in HW Studio’s Casa Emma, a new one-bedroom house in Morelia, Mexico, appear to have been carved from a solid structure
-
An Oaxacan retreat offers a new take on the Mexican region's architectureThis Oaxacan retreat, Casa Caimán by Mexican practice Bloqe Arquitectura, is a dreamy beachside complex on the Pacific coast
-
Take a plunge at Brandílera House on the Mexican Pacific CoastBrandílera House by Manuel Cervantes Estudio is a Mexican Pacific Coast retreat making the most of its views and green site
-
Step inside Quinto Sol house, a verdant oasis in Mexico's Pacific CoastQuinto Sol house by architect Cristina Grappin blends indoors and outdoors in a masterful architectural composition in the Mexican countryside
-
Lucha Libre and modernist architecture meet in Mexican short film ‘El Luchador’‘El Luchador’ blends Lucha Libre and architecture, in a Mexican short film set in Agustín Hernández Navarro's modernist home Casa Praxis in Mexico City
-
Mexico’s Amelia Tulum is where ‘the architecture becomes part of the jungle’Amelia Tulum by Sordo Madaleno combines a human-centred approach and lots of greenery to craft a Mexican residential community like no other
-
Scenic Garden offers architectural pavilions and a new green lung for Mexico CityScenic Garden, designed by Michan Architecture and a team of collaborators, adds green infrastructure to Mexico City's bustling urban experience
