In sunny Los Cabos, shade is a much-needed amenity. So, when designing Casa en Palmilla in the Mexican city, the firm ESTUDIO Ignacio Urquiza Ana Paula de Alba crafted an architectural form that integrates shade into the very DNA of the home.
To wit: the pair of lightweight, L-shaped roofs give that this project its extraordinary character. With almost seven-foot-deep overhangs, they cast generous shadows on the walls and around the 6,450-square-foot home’s perimeter that provide respite from the sun. Beneath this clay-tiled canopy, Casa en Palmilla’s four dwelling volumes are configured in such a non-orthogonal way that the courtyard at their center is trapezoidal and they all benefit from cross ventilation.
This gravel garden — with its view of the mountains beyond — is contoured around the home’s main spaces, providing privacy while filtering in sunlight. But only the main social area opens onto completely the outdoor haven.
Each of the home’s four volumes has its distinct program. The first is the “service” volume, with its parking, storage, mechanical and laundry spaces. Sharing the same roof is the guest bedroom volume. “Within it,” the architects explain, “a freestanding wooden element — detached from the roof plane — defines the guest bathroom and dressing area, reinforcing a sense of continuity and spatial openness.”
Beneath the second L-shaped roof, the third volume houses the main bedroom and its walk-in closets and study area. And the adjacent fourth volume, featuring a living room, dining area and open kitchen, constitutes the central social area that continues onto the courtyard. By opening its 40-foot-long glazed doors on both longitudinal facades, the occupants transform the space into a covered terrace that’s connected on one side to the central courtyard and on the opposite to a swimming pool with a view of the Sea of San José.
Inside, the planes of the L-shaped roofs overlap to dramatic effect, the laminated oak ceiling beams conjuring a bold interior geometry complemented by a soothing neutral palette. All the furnishings were designed by Alejandra Usobiaga, who created major moments with the kitchen millwork and a sculptural concrete fireplace tower that delineates the dining and living areas. It doesn’t get more serene than this.
To see this and other works by the firm, visit estudioiuapda.com.
Photography by Ana Paula Álvarez.
