House in Tres Rios by César Béjar Studio in Mexico

Project: House in Tres Rios Architects: César Béjar Studio Location: Culiacán Rosales, Mexico Area: 3,552 sq ft
Year: 2020 Photography by: César Béjar Studio

House in Tres Rios by César Béjar Studio

Located in the heart of Culiacán Rosales, Mexico, the House in Tres Rios emerges as a contemporary work of art. Breaking free from regional excesses, it reveals a symphony of simplicity. A monochrome marvel, its solid structure defies gravity while delicately intertwining color, form, and texture. One window looks both upward and beyond the horizon, guarding against southern sun. Patios and terraces dance with interiors, blurring boundaries with graceful elegance. Pink whispers from the street merge with quiet neutrals inside, painted by the brush of sunlight. Two-story spaces intertwine, offering refreshing air and a peaceful sanctuary.

A unique response to context evokes different architectural expressions. Desiring to be the simplest house in the area, the home is free of decorations that usually invoke various materials; its quality lies in being monochromatic.

A solid mass inserted between neighboring walls appears to float, attempting to find lightness in its weight while subtly receding to be less noticeable yet inevitably disrupting the surrounding plasticity through contrast of color, form, and texture.

The single window consists of a horizontal aperture and a zenith hole, both facing the same point as if two eyes peer through one lock simultaneously, sequentially pressing the entire window to shield from southern sun and cast shadows.

Built on a plot longer than it is wide, patios and terraces open to the house, with all spaces always facing the closed and isolated external world. The patio possesses a quality of being private and calm, yet not losing its exterior presence—ideal spaces for contemplation. Their state makes them places capable of being enjoyed from internal spaces, as if they were outside.

The constancy between the patio and the external world is enhanced when their qualities meet texture, color, and vegetation. Their interiors without color or texture play the role of empty canvases. The atmosphere of the house emanates from color. Between the pink patio that reflects and enters the home, and direct yellow light from above blending with pink to balance tones on these neutral surfaces. This results in a soft warm atmosphere, changing depending on natural light and the progression of the day. These tones are regulated by small blue windows that amplify color variations and complement warm hues.

Two double-height spaces intertwine to connect the entire house. Upon entry and looking upward, the gaze is lost and the home continues, the feeling of narrowness is muted, and its state finds freshness through this spatial quality.

–César Béjar Studio