Year of design: 2015 Year of construction: 2016 Location: Tapachula, Mexico Design: Paz Arquitectura – Alejandro Paz Area: 7,850,00 square feet Construction: Metalco Construcciones Structural design: Chacon y Asociados Photography: Andrés Asturias
Clara house is a single residence in Tapachula, south of Mexico. It is located in an area with hot climate, high rate of rain and humidity. As much as privacy is needed, the purpose of the project was to produce enough openings to dilute the borders between the exterior and interior to motivate the enjoyment of the climate, vegetation and outdoors life. For such reason, the main areas are located next to a pergola and can be opened to unify all the spaces.
In order to generate comfortable spaces the house contains two sections with a solid appearance and large overhangs floating in respect to the walls and the exposed concrete texture give the appearance of being free and organic. These overhangs give shade and comfort. The materials and proportions are repeated in the interior to obtain unity.
The overhangs also frame and overlap with the vegetation so Architecture embraces the fertility of the earth, feeling that is carried on through interior gardens.
The first floor includes the social area. The second floor consists of the private area. However, all the materials and proportions are carried on throughout. In the center, under one of the overhangs, there is a swimming pool to obtain movement and freshness to the area.
The main material is the exposed concrete linking the design to nature and producing textures that enhance the design. The beams are three feet tall and the forms for the concrete were used vertically to generate lineal rhythm.
Local wood was used to make the forms for the exposed concrete walls and produce certain shapes that combine light and shadow on the surfaces.
The other materials used were, wood, local stone and glass to relate with the exterior.