Clay tiles line the front of a slender family house in San Miguel de Allende that was designed by local architect Mauricio Alonso to be in “continuous dialogue with the landscape”.

Designed for a family of three, the house is located in a dense neighbourhood and occupies an oddly shaped property in a cul-de-sac. To the northeast is a city-owned park.

Tomm House is located on an oddly shaped property in a Mexican cul-de-sac

Providing a generous garden and a connection to the outdoors – without sacrificing privacy – were primary goals for the project.

The site conditions figured heavily into the design of the 1,948-square-metre (181-square-metre) home.

The home rises two levels around a private garden

“The house proposes a way of living that starts from a continuous dialogue with the landscape in which it is located,” said Mauricio Alonso, head of local studio M Aquitectura.

Just 16.4 feet wide (five metres), the house is rectangular in plan and rises two levels.

Mauricio Alonso chose concrete for the walls

Rather than face the street, the architect rotated the home to be oriented toward a private garden, which takes up about half of the property.

Walls are made of concrete, and the side facades are lined with large windows to deliver views and daylight. Wooden louvres help mitigate heat gain and ensure privacy.

Alonso opted for a windowless wall for the street-facing side of the house

For the street-facing side of the house, the architect opted for a windowless wall.

This “blind facade” is clad in low-cost, orange clay tiles that allude to the city’s historic courtyards while also giving the house a “powerful personality”.

The interior features a simple and fluid layout

This front wall is elevated above the ground by steel columns to form a sheltered parking area. Just off this carport is a rustic staircase, which leads up to the home’s main entrance.

“The access is ascending, covered with local flagstone caressing traces of the terrain that were left uncovered intentionally,” the team said.

A kitchen and dining area are found in the centre of the plan

The interior features a simple and fluid layout.

The main level holds the social areas. A double-height living room occupies one side of the plan, while the kitchen and dining area are found in the centre.

Concrete, steel and congona wood feature throughout

The far end contains a study that doubles as guest quarters. The room can be closed off by translucent sliding doors.

An airy stairwell connects the ground level to the bedrooms on the upper floor. For a terrace adjoining the main bedroom, the architect created a distinctive trellis made of angled concrete panels.

In terms of the interior material palette, the architect focused on using concrete, steel and congona wood throughout.

“These three combined create a more welcoming, honest and versatile environment,” the architect said.

“They provide a particular style to the house and express purity in a very warm way, which adapts perfectly to the conditions of the land.”

Tomm House is in San Miguel de Allende

Known for its colonial architecture and vibrant arts scene, San Miguel de Allende is located in Mexico’s central state of Guanajuato.

Other projects there include a house with a cruciform plan and thick stone walls by HW Studio Arquitectos and a pink hotel with a lush courtyard by architect Ian Pablo Amores.

The photography is by Rafael Gamo. 

Project credits:

Architecture and landscape: Mauricio Alonso of m aquitecturA
Engineering: Arturo Gómez Villegas
Collaborators: Elias Granados, Axel Arellano, Daniel Valle

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