S-AR combines concrete, steel + black bricks in casa caté house in mexico

S-AR has has built casa caté, a family house in monterrey, mexico, using local materials such as concrete, brick, steel and glass, under the premise of representing through these the industrial heart of the city. the building comprises two independent concrete units which support the house, while, above them, it continues as a compact, black-brick volume. the residence is topped with an open-air roof terrace, which provides a lookout to the nearest mountains, and a space for contemplation and gathering.all images by ana cecilia garza villarreal

S-AR has used the conditions of the terrain being a corner and its orientation as the guidelines to define the spacial and constructive strategy of the house. due to local regulations, which required a service hall, and for the corner of the plot to be left construction-free, the architects were forced to concentrate the building in the center of the plot. the two independent concrete pieces supporting the house are used as basements, which enclose service spaces such as closets, bathrooms, storage room, laundry and the entrance. ‘by doing this, the basement floor is almost free, permitting the parking space (required by the regulations),’ explains the mexican architecture studio. ‘but most important is a potential free space for different programs like reunions, workshops, parties, cinema, etc.’.

upon entering the house, one takes the stairs that lead to the first floor, where the social area is located. this area comprises an open plan space, while the two service volumes are hidden in wooden boxes at the side. windows in the lateral walls of the traversal section of this floor bring natural ventilation and lighting. a latticed wall made of brick protects the house from the south sun light during the morning and the sunset, providing rhythm, texture and scale to the upper part of the building. in the social area, the stairs are hidden in a white volume that seems to be coming down from the slab and appears like a sculptural element in the space. the upper level encloses the three rooms for the household, while the stairs lead above, to an open roof terrace that provides views to the surrounding mountains.