“Villa de Gracia” is a rest house for a Mexican family. It is located in an ecological landmark in Tapalpa, a rural town in Jalisco in central-western México. It has a dense forest, abundant rain and cold weather.
The land has a 5,100m2 surface with a constant 25% gradient that runs north to south. On its eastern end, it has a glen that immerses into a dense pine and oak forest.
The clients wanted a house that was a sanctuary for reflection and contemplation. A fun house that benefit from the land´s view and that didn´t stand above the forest. The phrase they kept repeating was “it has to be graceful”.
By being a recreational house, it had to bring different experiences than the ones they usually have in the city through different spaces and paths that contribute to discover and enjoy the place, creating free and informal atmospheres for dialogue and intimate contact between the users and the environment.
It was intended to honor the simplicity of the local vernacular architecture by using more efficient, sustainable materials more appropriate for the weather. The maintenance also had to be minimal.
The house had to have the right hierarchy in the context, that is, for it´s dimension, proportion and planting in the land, that it didn´t invade the previous habitants (trees, birds, etc.).
It didn´t apply the typical formulas in which the skin of the project is native- adobe, ceiling tiles- but with a city soul.
DESCRIPTION:
The planting of the house in the land is on one of the open areas. It’s planted further down from the neighbor’s line so it has more independence. The house is closer to the glen so it takes the best from the topography fail with a viewpoint from where you get a sense of domination of the place as well as new possibilities to appreciate the flora and fauna from the resultant height.
The most possible land was preserved in it´s wild form. The composition of the house is made by three linked bodies connected through extensions of the terrace. These bodies are planted on platforms at different levels according to the natural inclination of the land. They have a lower placement with respect to the entrance so the presence from it is more subtle.
The services are concentrated in the main body, as well as the main bedroom which is on the top floor so it has the sense of mastery and authority that corresponds to the owners. The need for independence of the kids (according to their gender and age) is accomplished by two independent, symmetrical bungalows that also function as guest rooms as they are separated from the main body. The presence of these two bodies contributes to the visuals from the main as they frame them according to de hierarchy that the site determines.
The retaining walls are basalt masonry without joint, inspired on the loose stone yards from the local countrymen. The house´s walls are made from double “lama” bricks separated from each other so that the space between them works as a natural thermal insulator, their color is based on the predominant color of the tree trunks. The roof tops are made of wood and covered with clay tiles.
The clients called their house “VILLA DE GRACIA”.
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