Casa Candelaria is located in Mexico City’s highlands, just outside San Miguel de Allende. Borrowing from the traditional hacienda style design, the 1,500 square meter dwelling features courtyards around which living areas are constructed. The central courtyard is topped with a concrete roof which stretches out over a patio surrounded by desert landscape.
Related: Rammed Earth desert courtyard house built from the ground upon which it sits in Arizona
The rammed-Earth walls are made from soil excavated on site, saving the architects a great deal of money during construction. The nearly 20-inch thick, energy-saving walls are an ash hue thanks to natural pigments added to the soil. Heat from the sun is trapped within the walls, keeping the residents comfortable at night when temperatures drop.
Four main volumes make up the structure, featuring parota, or Guanacaste, wood floors. Striking, full-length windows are surrounded by shutters of the same material, framing the scenery outside. Case Candelaria was one of the winners for Architizer’s 2016 A+Awards in the Private House category – and it’s easy to see why.
+ Cherem Arquitectos
Via Dezeen
Images via Enrique Macias
