sordo madaleno arquitectos constructs beachfront house on a caribbean island

located off the coast of the mexican state of quintana roo, cozumel is a caribbean island populated with abundant vegetation. it is here, on a remote beachfront plot, where sordo madaleno arquitectos (SMA) has completed a luxury residence. positioned above a natural depression in the site’s terrain, the dwelling has been positioned so that vegetation can grow beneath the building — integrating itself organically into its habitable spaces.

all images by rafael gamo © sordo madaleno arquitectos

‘the project is based on the guiding concept of fully respecting the site and its existing vegetation, resulting in a design that reflects a clear unity between the contemporary language and natural surroundings,’ says SMA. a series of bridges and terraces connect the beach areas and exterior pool with the two-storey home, which forms an L-shape. throughout the scheme, a series of voids not only create interesting spatial relationships between inside and out, but also ensure cross ventilation and daylight.

at the lower level, the house’s social areas are oriented towards the sea. the dining room, kitchen, and a wet bar provide a transition from the beach, while the first four bedrooms are located in a volume that lies perpendicular to the coast. the upper storey contains the master bedroom and two further bedrooms — all with terraces facing the ocean. a family room is also provided, as well as an outdoor lounge with a reflecting pool.

‘the fewest possible materials were used, guided by their functionality and aesthetic qualities in terms of blending into their surroundings,’ the architects explain. ‘these principally included the use of white cement mixed with the ‘dirty’ water produced by the bark of the chukum tree to create a naturally waterproof finish for exterior and interior walls, together with a local limestone cladding for the external walls.’

UPDATE: this project has been shortlisted in the ‘completed buildings – villa’ category at the 2019 world architecture festival.

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project info:

architectural project: sordo madaleno arquitectos
president: javier sordo madaleno bringas
architecture leader: javier sordo madaleno de haro
project leader: andrés cajiga
program: residential
construction area: 1,325 sqm / 14,262 sqf
terrain area: 5,200 sqm / 55,972 sqf
termination date: 2018
status: built
location: cozumel, quintana roo, mexico

architectural team
project manager: luis hernández
design team: daniel lópez marino,gabriela puente hurrle
engineering coordination: marcos hernández rodríguez
engineering team: juan carlos díaz, héctor ruíz
media and marketing: rosalba rojas, daniela cruz, daniela rosas

interior design: sordo madaleno arquitectos
interior director: nadia borrás
interior team: carmen cantú
structural engineering: jaime palacios
electrical engineering: fernando frías
air conditioning engineering: noel ibañez
systems and special engineering: fernando merino
hydrosanitary engineering: pedro medina
construction: constructora NALUM, roberto sidoti
photography: rafael gamo