Mexican architects AM40 Taller de Arquitectura and Stephane Arriola have completed a vacation home in Jalisco, using traditional materials and aiming to disturb the site as little as possible.
Casa EC was created for an urban family seeking a natural escape. It is located in Atemajac de Brizuela, a small town roughly 100 kilometres (62 miles) outside of Guadalajara.

"Architecture in the area is deeply rooted in tradition, and materials found in the landscape greatly influence the way spaces are built," said the team in a project description. "The EC house embraces these cultural features and adapts them to the needs of a family of city dwellers."
The 385-square-metre residence is made up of five rectangular volumes that cluster around a central courtyard. "Our approach was adapting to the natural elements on site, splitting the programme into different volumes and placing them around the existing pine trees," said the architects.
Two of the boxes, at the southern end of the site, contain a total of three guest bedrooms. Separating these areas from the rest of the home gives visitors more privacy, and allows the courtyard to act as a gathering space.
"A terraced courtyard functions as a central plaza linking the front and back of the plot, as well as creating a space for interaction between the main house and the guest rooms," the team said.

The three other volumes form the main portion of the home, and are arranged around an exteri...