Tate House | MATERIA | Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Sacred Space of Connection with Nature

Located on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, the Tate House by MATERIA is an architectural reflection on the landscape, craftsmanship, and sensory experience. Designed as a series of open pavilions intertwined with tropical gardens, the residential house blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior, architecture and nature.

Through thoughtful use of local materials, traditional craftsmanship, and regionally inspired forms, the project creates a sacred space of tranquility and connection where the rhythm of light, wind, and vegetation defines daily life.

Nature-Inspired Design

The Tate House serves as a natural extension of the oceanic landscape, built around three distinct yet interconnected gardens that change with seasons and reflect Oaxaca's ecological diversity.

• Dune Garden by the Ocean: Smoothly transitioning to the Pacific, this area preserves local dunes and offers panoramic ocean views framed by wild grasses and coastal flora.

• Living Barrier of Tropical Plants: A dense buffer of tropical vegetation protects the house from adjacent plots, ensuring privacy and supporting local biodiversity.

• Desert Botanical Garden: Featuring endemic species — agave, cacti, yucca, copal, guayacan trees — this garden celebrates Oaxaca's arid landscapes while combining sculptural forms with ecological sustainability.

Each landscape zone creates a unique microclimate, offering a constant sensory experience — from salty sea breeze to the quiet of shaded courtyards.

Pavilion Architecture: Celebrating Craftsmanship and Climate

Rooted in Oaxaca’s peripheral tectonic tradition, the house's architectural style combines modern spatial clarity with artisanal texture.

• Material Color Palette: The blend of concrete, local stone, and tropical wood creates a sustainable aesthetic, with textures shaped by time reflecting the surrounding environment.

• Palm Leaf Roofs: Traditional roofs made from palm thatch on wooden frames create naturally ventilated and shaded pavilions, regulating heat and light without mechanical systems.

• Stone Construction: Horizontal planes and solid stone walls reinforce the architecture, giving a sense of strength while providing thermal mass to combat coastal heat.

The contrast between open structures and solid stone volumes creates a rhythmic choreography of shadows and light, where the daily movement of the sun brings life to architecture.

Spaces for Reflection and Connection

The house layout is based on a modular pavilion composition, where each element fulfills a specific spatial and emotional role.

• Central Pavilion: The social heart of the house, it offers double panoramas — the quiet Pacific Ocean to the west and Sierra Madre to the east. Acting as a threshold between permanence and movement, this space connects natural elements through constant cross-ventilation.

• Private Pavilions: Bedrooms and intimate zones are organized around individual gardens and terraces, offering privacy without isolation.

• Windows and Openings: Circular apertures in concrete slabs allow sunlight and rain — turning air, water, and light into architectural elements.

Walkways connect each pavilion through shaded colonnades and well-maintained courtyards, encouraging a slow, contemplative movement aligned with the rhythm of coastal life.

Sustainability and Regional Authenticity

Reflecting MATERIA’s philosophy, the Tate House is simultaneously contextually authentic and ecologically responsible.

• Local Craftsmanship: Every element — from woodwork to stone masonry and thatched roofing — was crafted by local artisans, preserving Oaxaca’s architectural heritage and supporting its economy.

• Passive Cooling: Open layouts, deep overhangs, and ventilated pavilions provide natural cooling, eliminating the need for conventional air conditioning.

• Local Biodiversity: Landscape design prioritizes endemic species, reducing water consumption and strengthening the site’s ecological integrity.

Essentially, the project demonstrates how regional tradition can evolve into sustainable innovation, offering a blueprint for future tropical architecture rooted in place and purpose.

The Tate House by MATERIA is a hymn to the landscape and craftsmanship of Oaxaca — architecture that listens, breathes, and adapts. Blending pavilions, gardens, and artisanal techniques, the house blurs the boundaries between built form and environment.

It is simultaneously a retreat and a place of reflection — a space where nature defines architecture, and architecture amplifies the quiet poetry of nature.

Photos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime NavarroPhotos © Jaime Navarro