S-AR + carlos valdez build monolithic residence using bare concrete and steel in mexico

located on the banks of a water dam, 34km south of the city of monterrey, mexico, casa la presa by S-AR and carlos valdez comprises a monolithic volume of bare concrete walls and a steel structural frame. the lot’s proximity to the water has informed the project from the very beginning, raising the residence far enough from it to find firmer soil, and thus leaving a large garden at the back. in front, a detached structure encloses a garage, which, together with a garden and a pool, frame an access plaza.

all images by ana cecilia garza villarreal

S-AR and carlos valdez have built the house’s exterior façade facing the street, and the interior one towards the plaza, with a sober, blind, and at times enigmatic appearance, both in order to hide, to some extent, the presence of the house towards the outside, and postpone the visitor’s surprise due to the presence of the large body of water on the other side of the wall. the house sits on a raised platform above the access level, separating itself from the constant humidity of the soil. a wide staircase leads to the entrance porch, guiding residents into the monolithic volume of the building.

inside, a large open space with a rectangular layout takes full prominence, allowing for complete transparency through the depth of the house towards a large terrace, the garden and, at a further plane, the dam. the lower level incorporates the living room, kitchen and dining room, with the possibility of opening these spaces to the garden and the pool. a staircase, enclosed in a kind of glass prism, separates the social area from another large rectangle containing the bedrooms, which are accessed through a door that blends in as part of the wall. next to it, a similar door leads to a guest bathroom ,whose diagonal wall articulates these two large rectangles that give shape to the house.

on the back, the volumes are unified by a roofed exterior terrace, that acts as a transition space towards the garden and the dam, and greatly protects the interior from direct southern sun. the interior staircase leads to a second volume which contains another living room, a bar, and an outdoor terrace, where one can observe the dam from a high vantage point.

‘utility and recreation, two concepts that simultaneously frame the character of the dam as the closest site reference, could also be used to describe the approach to this house,’ explain S-AR and carlos valdez. ‘thought of in an immediate time lapse as a refuge for recreational use, without losing sight of its eventual utility in the near future, when this particular area inevitably becomes part, as a consequence of the accelerated growth, of a sub-urban context of the metropolitan area of monterrey.’