Architects Maria Gomez, Giovanni Ocampo and Héctor Coss have completed a low-lying, three-house retreat in western Mexico that explores the ability of concrete to work in "aesthetic harmony with the desert".
The project, Casa Santos, is located in Todos Santos, a coastal town on the Baja Peninsula. The retreat ? which is rented out when not in use by the Miami Beach-based owners ? sits on a 2,000-square-metre desert property with distant views of the sea.
Maria Gomez, Giovanni Ocampo and Héctor Coss completed the project in western Mexico
While designing the project, architects Maria Gomez, Giovanni Ocampo and Héctor Coss were mindful of the region's beauty and vulnerability to earthquakes. They aimed to design a cluster of low-key buildings that work in concert with the terrain. "Casa Santos is an exploration of the possibilities of concrete to create community and sustainability in aesthetic harmony with the desert," the team said.
Casa Santos features a pool and terraces set into a slope
The development consists of three houses, with a fourth building for service functions. The property also features a swimming pool and sunbathing terraces set on a slope.
The buildings are made of ribbed concrete with a pinkish hue ? decisions informed by the site's context and sun exposure.
The volumes are formed from ribbed concrete with a pinkish hue
The colouring is meant to blend with the desert sand, and the wall fluting engenders shadows, helping reduce sol...