Gardens carved from this concrete home near Quérétaro, Mexico by Gestalt Associates bring light, air and vegetation into the living spaces.
Completed earlier in 2021 by Querétaro-based studio Gestalt Associates, Frame House is a brick-and-concrete structure that is comprised of rectangular volumes arranged asymmetrically around a central courtyard and staircase.
The project is a Mexican house
This feature takes cues from the colonial villas found in the city, which typically reserve their courtyards for gardens that served as a gathering point for various rooms laid out around them.
The ground floor of the five-bedroom home contains a living room framed by two garden spaces. The one closest to the entrance contains the main staircase, which is brightly lit by a skylight above. An olive tree acts as a centrepiece between the stair's levels
"Both blocks are connected by the nucleus of stairs that go up around an olive tree and the wide dome that allows light to enter the house," said a project description from Gestalt Associates.
Potted plants run up the stair's railing, adding greenery to the core of the home. In addition to balconies facing the surrounding neighbourhood, Gestalt Associates also included terraces that face inwards.
Greenery is at the house's core
"With wide-open spaces towards the interior gardens and through strategically placed windows and lattices, the continuous flow of ventilation and natural lighting is allowed throughout the day,&quo...