andres burguete creates 'house el cielo' from three brick volumes in mexico

architect, andres burguete, has designed the ‘house el cielo’ in the mexican city of guadalajara. the house is created from three volumes which are formed to create an intimate and introverted space. the solid and heavy brick exterior gives way to a light and open interior which benefits from strategically placed windows.

all images © césar bejar

the use of brick is employed by burguete in an effort to allow the building material to age well in the mexican climate. brick is also utilized as it expresses the architecture and construction honestly. the only walls in the entire building are structural, therefore, by having no partitions without a true function, the structure is articulated in a very transparent manner.

the three volumes which make up the house have varying dimensions but the same proportions, and each one contributes to generate different experiences throughout the space. the central and most important box fragments the program. this volume is pierced through from top to bottom creating an empty space that can function as a patio from the exterior or a portico from the inside of the house.

the ‘house el cielo’ is oriented to the south in order for the tree’s shadows to be projected on the inside through the windows, making them part of the material palette. the program unfolds from the center with the common area on the ground floor acting as the central zone, while the subsidiary areas are located to the sides. burguete has designed the three volumes to create transitions from one space to the next, subtly perforated with windows that act like peepholes and pauses. 

all drawings © andres burguete

project info:

project name: ‘house el cielo’

location: guadalajara, jalisco, mexico

architect: andres burguete

photography: césar bejar

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: lynne myers | designboom