Mexican architect José Juan Rivera Río is a modernist at heart. Working with raw concrete, large expanses of glass, open plans and flat roofs, the DF-based architect is a master in creating spectacular, linear homes that produce the best cases of house envy. His latest offering, Casa Ramos, is a case in point.
Rivera Río sites the mid-1940s Case Study Houses programme – the Arts & Architecture magazine’s iconic and, at the time, experimental residential design series – as a main source of inspiration for this villa in Mexico City’s Miguel Hidalgo neighbourhood.
Sat within a triangular plot, the house defines its city block through its prominent position. Navigating an awkwardly shaped, angular site when trying to place a more sober, rectangular design could be tricky for some, but not for this architect’s expert hand. Positioning one side of the house parallel to the plot, not only ensures the building feels comfortably nestled within its surroundings, but also makes the most of the favourable south orientation and the green views beyond, which are now visible from the house’s common areas.
Spanning three levels, Casa Ramos features a garage basement that leads up to the leafy garden and main entrance. A garden-facing ground floor hosts the house’s living room, dining and kitchen area, and TV room. The top level includes the bedrooms and bathrooms. An upstairs terrace offers a connection to the outdoors for the more private areas of the house.
The light, glass-enclosed volumes give an impression of lightness to the whole, which appears to float above the verdant garden. At the same time, inside, stone, marble and dark woods create a warm, more homely atmosphere, and a luxurious feel that underlines the skill in which the architect made the most of the project’s relatively modest budget.
The house combines concrete and glass volumes that float above the garden’s rich foliage.
Timber-lined open plan living spaces that lead out into the garden.
Using warm woods, concrete and stone, the architect created a modern, yet homely atmosphere inside the house.
The top level hosts the more private spaces, such as the bedrooms and bathrooms.
The house’s clever orientation means that natural lights floods all parts of the interior.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the JJRR Arquitectura website
-
At The Manner, New York has a highly fashionable new living roomThe Manner, a new hopsitality experience by Standard International in the heart of SoHo, triples up as a hotel, private residence, and members’ club
-
First look – Bottega Veneta and Flos release a special edition of the Model 600Gino Sarfatti’s fan favourite from 1966 is born again with Bottega Veneta’s signature treatments gracing its leather base
-
We stepped inside the Stedelijk Museum's newest addition in AmsterdamAmsterdam's Stedelijk Museum has unveiled its latest addition, the brand-new Don Quixote Sculpture Hall by Paul Cournet of Rotterdam creative agency Cloud
-
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
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
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
