Casa BO

Bosques de las Lomas, Mexico City, Mexico

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Casa BO

Bosques de las Lomas, Mexico City, Mexico

Firm

IZ Arquitectos

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$1M - 5M

Casa BO is a contemporary residential project located in the exclusive Bosques de las Lomas borough. The house is named Casa BO because the "B" refers to the forest (bosque) within the house, and the "O" refers to the oasis created inside.

The homeowner, envisioned a house with spaces to enjoy with family and friends, establishing a direct connection with nature. He wanted a house that, upon entering, would disconnect from the metropolis and transport them to a place surrounded by nature, creating an interior oasis. Additionally, he sought a house that would allow for the discovery of its spaces through a journey, using stone and natural materials.

The concept of the house arises from interior patios formed by various planes (the walls) that extend throughout the house. These walls slide from the interior to the exterior, creating the sensation that both spaces converge into one. These planes allow for a coherent and fluid movement within the house and the design allows the house to unfold around a central patio, fostering an atmosphere where nature and architecture coexist harmoniously.

The main patio is one of the most important conceptual elements, as most of the spaces revolve around it. This design allows the house's environment to develop around a central patio, which illuminates the spaces, offers a constant connection with the exterior, and separates public areas from private ones.

Another fundamental concept of the house is the integration of interior spaces with the exterior nature. The strategic location of the living room and terrace allows both spaces to unite and integrate with the main patio and the surrounding nature when a sliding door is opened. This amplifies the perception of space and strengthens the relationship between the interior and exterior. The use of corridors and visual terminations is fundamental in the house's layout. As you walk, the visual terminations encounter works of art or the exterior nature, creating the sensation of being in a small museum.

The house spans 1526 m² distributed over three floors. The basement houses the parking area and a small playroom for the children. The main access floor includes the social areas, such as the living room, dining room, terrace, kitchen, and two bedrooms for the children. The upper floor includes two bedrooms, one for the daughter and one for the master bedroom, as well as a family room and a gym.

The layout of the house emphasizes the importance of visual terminations, which often highlight artworks or views of nature.
This creates a journey through the house, resembling an art gallery or a small museum, where each corridor reveals a new experience.

The staircase is one of the most important elements of the house, as it has become a sculpture within it. From the beginning of the design, the staircase was always conceived as a sculptural element that welcomes visitors in the basement lobby and connects the three floors of the house.

The staircase, in a continuous half-circle shape without intermediate landings, allows it to be perceived as a natural element that flows to the next level, forming a sculptural structure with a twisting handrail around it.
The materials used for the staircase include grey Rochelle marble for the steps and handrails cast in concrete and stuccoed in bone color, creating a contrast with the surrounding wooden walls and highlighting the elegance of the staircase.

This staircase was designed by Habitación 116 and IZ Arquitectos.

As part of the identity and philosophy of our architecture firm, we use only three to four materials per project to avoid visual clutter. In Casa BO, four primary materials are used: engineered wood, brick, concrete, and grey Rochelle marble.

For the walls that integrate with the exterior and become part of the interior, a grey brick from Spain (La Paloma) is used. For the interior walls, engineered wood in chocolate and walnut tones is used, providing elegance to the house. Some interior walls are finished with bone-colored stucco. In the bathrooms, a quartzite called Taj Mahal is used. The same engineered wood from the walls (brand MAFI) is used for the floors.

For the terrace and living room floor, grey Rochelle marble is used to create a seamless integration with the terrace; thus, marble was chosen instead of wood for this area. The floors and ceilings of the bathrooms are also made of Taj Mahal quartzite.
The material used for the entrance and parking steps is Mexican recinto; in in smaller pieces for the parking area, and in large slabs for the entrance. The parking slab is made of exposed concrete in a greige color. The edges of the terrace slabs and some on the main facade are also made of exposed concrete. The interior stairs have stucco handrails and steps made of the same grey Rochelle marble as the living room, an elegant marble with a dark grey color and white veining.

The garden, patio, or central forest of the house is inspired by Japanese forests, characterized by numerous thin-trunked trees and ferns on the ground. Together with the landscape and interior design team, we decided to recreate this aesthetic by using ferns on the ground and planting Liquidambar trees, as they have thin trunks similar to those of Japanese forests.

The decision to design the garden in this manner was based on the appreciation of the depth achieved by placing many thin-trunked trees. This interplay of planes and shadows, created by the arrangement of the trunks, provides a rich and dynamic visual experience, akin to walking through a Japanese forest. Additionally, this design creates a serene and contemplative space, connecting the inhabitants with nature in an intimate and relaxing way, evoking the tranquility and beauty of Japanese natural landscapes. The landscape design serves as a natural barrier against the metropolis, crafting an intimate oasis within the home.

Liquidambar, Aile, and Guayabos trees, along with ferns and various shrubs, create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, enhancing the connection with nature.

The interior architecture, designed in collaboration with Habitación 116, features a blend of luxurious and functional furniture pieces.

Social areas are furnished predominantly with pieces from Christian Liaigre, known for their high-quality materials and craftsmanship.
The bedrooms and living spaces are a mix of custom-designed furniture by Habitación 116 and select antique pieces, creating unique and personalized spaces.

The house features artworks that complement its architectural and interior design, including a notable piece by Gonzalo Lebrija.

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Casa BO

Bosques de las Lomas, Mexico City, Mexico

Casa BO

Bosques de las Lomas, Mexico City, Mexico

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team