'tepoztlán house' captures the mystical energy of its rural site

dosa studio completes ‘tepoztlán house’

Set in Tepoztlán, a traditional Mexican town surrounded by high hills, this private house captures the mystical charm of its rural surroundings. Architects Raúl Medina and Sergio Sousa from local practice Dosa Studio were invited to complete the project back in 2022, seeking the region’s vernacular building methods and materials — namely adobe and volcanic rocks — to design an hourglass-shaped dwelling that spans two floors and communicates with its lush green context through to its porous main façade.

all images © Fabian Martínez

contemplative and mystical spaces, open to the landscape

Specifically, the front façade of ‘Tepoztlán House’ opens up with enormous stone walls towards an old Amate tree that seems willing to enter the domestic spaces. There, the entrance blends with the inner hall when opening the wooden mullions, creating a great vestibule that combines the interior with the exterior. At the center of the house, the team at Dosa Studio injected a round opening between the slabs of the main hall, connecting to the sky through a reflective pool.

a porous façade

‘This results in an element of contemplation, operating too as a reflection of the passing of time. A regular flow of light is captured inside and moves through the course of the day. The surrounding garden composed of layers of vegetation expands itself towards the hills, blurring the borders of the premises, making it seem infinite,’ concludes Dosa Studio.

inviting the outdoors in