Mexican architecture practice Espacio 18 Arquitectura has completed a private house by using two rotating concrete volumes to grasp the sunrise and the sunset on Mexican Zapotengo coast in Oaxaca.

Named Casa del Sapo, the 130-square-metre house offers mesmerizing views by positioning the living spaces towards the ocean. The house consists of two bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and living room with large terrace. 

Image © Onnis Luque

While living rooms are defined with these volumes, large terrace is designed at the center of these volumes covered with wooden pergola. 

An elongated, outdoor swimming pool is placed in front of the terrace. A small pathway in the middle of the dwelling divides the house for easy transition. 

Image © Onnis Luque

The architects aimed to place the program of house according to the needs defined in the project brief. They wanted to achieve this through a generous architectural posture that reflects in the context, community, and in results of actions "we are passing to our future generations." 

For this project, the studio takes cues from a small cabin that was built by the writer Henry David Thoreau for himself in Walden Pond, Massachusetts.

Image © Onnis Luque

Image © Onnis Luque

"In just about a space of 3 m x 4.5 meters lakeside, he developed himself as an individual isolated from society looking for inspiration of the natural and its origins," said the architects. 

"His time at the cabin, let him valued what it’s really necessary and the respect of life itself which leads him to renovate himself as a human and fight on social subjects at the end of his life." 

"This means it's funny how the toad is different when it enters than when it leaves the pond," the firm added.

Image © Onnis Luque

The architects said that "Casa del Sapo is a project that’s grown tremendously even years before it was even thought of being built, A project that landed through signs and intuitions, which little by little opened doors and built bridges between people that ought to be united."

Image © Onnis Luque

The architects described the project as "everyone’s house" since the project has become a gathering, "Sapo is union, a family home, a shelter, an inclusive space, a safe space, a rest home, a school, a place where children can learn how to swim, where they can send turtles into the ocean, an orchard, a place to eat and drink mezcal, a place for friends, a place to grow, Pau and Mario’s home."

"When you get to show the kind of respect that a place deserves, from that very moment of telling the community what are you going to do, it embraces you, which has to be reciprocal."

Image © Onnis Luque

The project was designed by considering the soul of the place itself, as they describe, "two stones looking at the sea, craving for its timelessness". While the first volume looks for the sunrise and the other one for the sun to go down, where the spacing between them shows the sea, the beauty of the costa Oaxaqueña.

The house also offers a flexible space for its users, who will be able to change the interiors depending on changing needs in future.

Image © Onnis Luque

For material approach, the studio used local materials and construction techniques where the local builders can ose their own building skills. The house was designed to be ecological and socially friendly.

Image © Onnis Luque

"In the building process, some things were left entirely to the decision of the workers as a result of the pandemic that we all had to go through., where everyone came through on their own wisdom and willingness during every single step in the process," the studio added. 

"This is a project where the number of people involved is surprising, some of them, highly remember with appreciation because of one virus."

Image © Onnis Luque

Image © Onnis Luque

Image © Onnis Luque

Image © Onnis Luque

Image © Fabian Martinez

Image © Fabian Martinez

Image © Fabian Martinez

Image © Fabian Martinez

Image © Fabian Martinez

Image © Fabian Martinez

Axonometric

Diagram

Site plan

Ground floor plan

Roof floor plan

Section

Elevation

Elevation

Project facts

Project name: Casa del Sapo

Architects: Espacio 18 Arquitectura

Location: Oaxaca, Mexico 

Size: 130m2 

Date: 2021

Top image © Onnis Luque

All images © Onnis Luque, Fabian Martinez

All drawings © Espacio 18 Arquitectura

> via Espacio 18 Arquitectura