HW Studio has created a sunken home in the forests of Morelia, in central Mexico, with a vaulted concrete living room that opens out to the site's lush surroundings.
The project, nicknamed "The Hill in Front of the Glen," was completed as a family home outside of Morelia, where HW Studio is based. The low-slung building is partially dug into the ground, lending it its name.
The Hill in Front of the Glen is located in a Mexican forest. Photo is by Dane Alonso
The home's structure is made from concrete, which was left exposed in the interiors. The living spaces are organised beneath the long structural vault, which defines the interiors and helps the building integrate into the landscape.
"This project generates a continuity in the beautiful living surface around the land, forming a new hill in a place already surrounded by many," said HW Studio in a project description. A corridor flanked by concrete walls leads to the entrance. Photo is by Dane Alonso
Two concrete walls form a corridor leading to the entrance, which is a few steps down from the area's grade. Along this passageway, an existing tree prevents direct views to the front door.
"The path is wide enough to walk comfortably alone, yet narrow enough to discourage accompaniment," said HW Studio.
"Visitors are cast into a pilgrimage of solitude that leads to an old tree with such a significant presence that it was necessary to distort one of the walls with a gentle curve to be able t...