aiming to reinterpret the design of family residences within gated communities in mexico, rea studio has introduced the ‘calicanto’ house. grasping the opportunity to change the usual ‘restrictions’ of this urbanization model, the architects have placed the building right on the plot boundary, taking advantage of the spatious land to generate a large central courtyard. 

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all images by césar béjar, rea studio 

 

 

the large central courtyard that was formed by rea studio, is the articulating element of the ‘calicanto’ house. all views of the living spaces were immersed to this courtyard, which is also the gathering point for the inhabitants. due to the excellent tropical climate of the area, the open yard encourages the residents to sunbathe and enjoy the pool all year long. 

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the dwelling provides a stereotomic aspect on the outside and tectonic aspect on the inside, with the patio serving as a transition between them. in addition, it is also a visual and auditive connector with the rest of the development due to its location adjacent to the street. the lattice that divides the two aspects generates an interesting architectural element that attracts the eye of the neighbours. the simplicity of the project seeks to be its greatest strength, keeping in mind to do more with less.

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since the residence is mainly used as a holiday home, few materials and colors were used in order to motivate the enjoyment of the architectural spaces, but also to generate lower maintenance costs. the wet areas are located within a single axis, making the construction easier to execute. the ‘calicanto’ project reviews the basic concepts of housing, and especially the importance of rethinking the guidelines established for construction in mexico, which in many cases are not ideal for obtaining the best results.

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project info:

 

name: calicanto house
architecture office: rea studio
location: nuevo vallarta, nayarit, mexico
land area: 272 m²
construction area: 247 m²

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom