© Lorena Darquea
- Architects: AE Arquitectos
- Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
- Area: 1335.32 m2
- Project Year: 2017
- Photographs: Lorena Darquea
- Landscaping: L+L Paisajismo
© Lorena Darquea
Text description provided by the architects. House OM1 was conceived as a solution that balances two different concepts. Initially, there was a need to create a space where modern-day activities such as intimacy or leisure are sufficed. Another requirement was for the house to have an old-fashioned aesthetic where wood and stone were the main materials used. It stands out as a unique project from the ground up. The plot conditions were distinctive, it had a pronounced slope that culminated in cliffs several meters high. It was built one level below the street level and the entrance was designed as a stairway transitioning from the street noise to the quiet beauty of the house which is slowly revealed as one walks down.
Ground Floor Plan
© Lorena Darquea
It was designed to be in constant contact with nature, with two patios and one garden that allow the users to be surrounded by nature. The first patio is placed along the entrance stairway; the second and most important is a patio placed at the center of the house, functioning as a nucleus that unifies the ground floor with the second floor. This central patio is brimming with vegetation, the rest of the house revolves naturally around it: the lining room, dining room, and kitchen; these spaces connect with the backyard also filled with vegetation, a deck, and a pool.
© Lorena Darquea
House OM1 was built over a base made of a coppery stone brought from Chapala, Jalisco that helps create an old-fashioned aesthetic and enhance the sensation of heaviness in the house that reminiscences of grounding your feet into the sand. The second floor is surrounded by windows that allow the users to enjoy the views of the backyard and the cliffs. Natures presence is obvious in every space, even in the most intimate ones, giving a feeling of safeguard, comfort, and relaxation. Dark-wood finish and the brick walls help reinforce the feeling of coziness inside the house. It is a space where the users can relax, be their true self and leave any preoccupation at the door.
© Lorena Darquea
Longitudinal Section
© Lorena Darquea