dried palm tree leaves and local wood form roof of vacation house in mexico

situated within puerto escondido, mexico, architecture studio anonimous presents ‘casa cova’, a vacation house sitting just 70 meters away from the coast. arranged on a site between the pacific ocean and the oaxacan mountain range, the residence is designed to accommodate two families, generating two different compounds of private rooms that connect through the common recreational areas.

all images by rafael gamo

the residence by anonimous consists of two main sections: a large, central common area, and two parallel side zones that contain the private suites. the big central volume marks the access to the house, with two main entrances passing through a lattice wall, which helps cross-ventilate the common spaces and creates a dynamic light pattern from dusk till dawn. this middle area embodies a high-ceiling multi-purpose public space that includes the living room, the dining area, as well as the bar.

the volume is topped by a 30 meters long ‘palapa’, a regional cover technique made of dried palm tree leaves. this structure is generally used to help cool down the tropical temperatures, by providing shade, along with room for the heat to exit through the top of the structure. a system of parallel concrete walls encloses the two private bedroom zones. each one of these sections houses three pavilions (one master suite, and two kids’ bedrooms), with their own private bathroom. meanwhile, both master suites can enjoy their own framed view of the pacific horizon.

the pavilions are connected by a series of interlocking open courtyards which are the main entrance points for the kids’ rooms. in addition, these yards ensure cross-ventilation, so that the temperatures of the of the bedrooms can be lowered efficiently. both the private rooms and the main central volume share a view and access to a pool area, right in the center, designed as a set of alternating planes which contains shaded recreational areas looking out into the ocean.

the project was designed to work with its natural context, using locally sourced materials within its whole construction. dried palm tree leaves on walls and ceilings, parota wood for the carpentry and a touch of green regional low-maintenance vegetation were chosen, in order to help keep the maintenance cost low and to dignify the ageing process of the building. 

the reliant use of concrete on the structure responds to the local needs as well; the constant intensity of the sun and the salinity of the area demand a material that ages finely without the need of much maintenance. the building is also strategically lifted 5 ft from the ground, in order to avoid floods by the well- known ‘mar de fondo’ that affects this region often.  

project info:

name: casa cova
architecture office: anonimous
lead architects: alfonso jiménez & bárbara trujillo
design team: mónica ochoa, francisco martínez, ana cristina fernández, lucrecia brero, joaquín ríos
structural engineers: adán peñaloza
landscape consultants: ambiente arquitectos asociados
lighting: foton ltd, martin leal
general contractor: juan carlos steffanoni construction
media and marketing: maria luisa guzmán
developer: ASARI

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