Iguana House by OBRA BLANCA in Alvarado, Mexico

Project: Iguana House Architects: OBRA BLANCA Location: Alvarado, Mexico Area: 3,928 sq ft Photos: Provided by OBRA BLANCA

Iguana House by OBRA BLANCA

OBRA BLANCA completed the Iguana House project — a luxurious modern home with a clear connection to traditional Mexican homes. This beautiful house is located in Alvarado, Mexico and offers around 4000 square feet of modern living space on two levels.

The Iguana House can be characterized as three independent volumes connected by a bridge. The space between them is bounded by three lattice facades made of thin clay bricks, arranged like a tower of cards, reminiscent of belts on the walls and balconies of traditional regional buildings.

The first floor contains a single-family home with public and service programs organized within three volumes. The second floor houses exclusively private programs, with one bedroom in each volume.

The house is supported by a concrete sill, a monolithic extension of the foundation protruding from the ground; like roots reflecting its structural basis.

Light plays an important role when it works in conjunction with lattice walls. The interplay of light and shadow passes through the spaces, materializing the flow of time.

Naturally exposed materials give the house its color and texture both inside and out. Concrete elements and the beam/arc block ceiling system are balanced by the warm feeling of clay bricks on walls and floors; the outer perimeter of each volume is covered with a flat surface made from a mixture of white cement and hukum-rubber. All are simple to maintain and sufficiently noticeable to celebrate craftsmanship over time.

–OBRA BLANCA