This
project presented a high level of complexity: the family house was to
be located on a site that is over two and a half acres of rough
terrain with large topographical variations. This suburban site is
very steep but with a beautiful panoramic view of downtown Monterrey.
The client wanted us to design a single story house with a radical
division between public and private spaces which would also be energy
efficient.
The site
reminded us of Julius Schulman’s pictures of 1950’s modernist
houses. This reference was a starting point and an inspiration to
begin our design, bead a pentagon module, as a design parameter,
which derived from a spatial diagram and the topography.
Each area
of the program is enclosed within a pentagon and each pentagon
arranged to fit within the topography. Each geometric form is
slightly adjusted to allow for free transit and space continuity,
follow the slope, and enhance the views.
The public
spaces of the house are mounted over a flatter topographic area where
me managed to create a large space with free circulation while the
private areas are nestled in a step-like fashion within the slope. A
spiral staircase links both areas allowing for a flowing circulation
starting at the main access and continuing all around the house in a
free and interrupted manner, rendering the house simultaneously
dynamic and legible.
The
materials were determined by the structural and climatic needs of the
site. Thus, we decided to use concrete in its most apparent and
natural form, creating a sense of belonging to the location. The
house builds up like another protruding cliff or like a fractal from
the same slope.
We didn’t
build a house over the hillside, we built a house, which grew
organically on the hill and became part of the composition of the
natural environment.
Ventura
House is more than a house, it is a lab of architectonic experiences
with only one intention: to foster a pleasant, joyful, and dynamic
family life.
