An L-shaped new luxury residence disappeared in a lush vegetation of Cozumel Island in Mexico, designed by Mexican architecture firm Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos. 

Designed as a single-unit residence, the 1,325-square-metre house is situated on the beautiful island of Cozumel in Quintana Roo extending towards the sea. 

The new residence sits on a 5,200-square-metre site with abundant local vegetation and that has 38 meters of beachfront, offering superb views of the Mexican Caribbean.

The architects designed the house by maintaining the physical properties of the site and protecting its existing vegetation, which resulted in a design that reflects a clear unity between the contemporary language and natural surroundings.

Called Cozumel House, its architectural program is scattered over two levels which connect by means of bridges and terraces to the exterior pool and beach areas. 

In volumetric terms, the project is built on an L-shape layout with an interplay of solids and voids in its façades that depend on the interior functions to create interesting spatial relationships between inside and outside. In this way, each room is provided with cross ventilation and natural illumination.

"The undulating topography of the terrain includes a significant natural depression at the center. The residence is sited over this hollow, allowing the vegetation to continue beneath the project and to integrate itself organically into the habitable spaces," said Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos.

The main access to the house is provided on the north-east, close to the site boundary, and distributes the circulation of social and private areas on the ground floor. 

On the same level, the house faces the beach. The social areas of the building, such as dining room, kitchen, and a wet bar provide a transition to the beach, while the first four rooms and their respective services are located in a volume that lies perpendicular to the line of the beach, with views onto the internal garden.

On the first floor, the architects placed the master bedroom and two complementary bedrooms in which all have terraces facing the sea. A family room is contained by glass panels and an outdoor lounge with a reflecting pool enhances the views over the internal garden.

For the material choice, the architects used the fewest possible materials guided by their functionality and aesthetic qualities in terms of blending into their surroundings. 

These materials principally included the use of white cement mixed with the “dirty” water produced by the bark of the chukum tree to create a naturally waterproof finish for exterior and interior walls, together with a local limestone cladding for the external walls.

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Section A

Section B

Project facts

Location: Cozumel island, Mexico

Status: Built

Year: 2017

Program: Single-unit Residential

Project leader: Andrés Cajiga. 

Interior design: Nadia Borrás

Construction area: 1,325 sqm

Land area: 5,200 sqm

All images © Rafael Gamo

> via Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos