The old house in the historic center of Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, had clumsy additions that were removed and replaced with a clear and contemporary addition that created three lush courtyards for maximum natural light and cross breezes. Besides a historic, stone house, the site also provided a large, existing royal palm tree. In an effort to save the tree and create a more intimate relationship with the existing tree, the house was designed to wrap around the tree. The existing historic house was renovated with a restored facade and new finishes emblematic of Merida’s historic architecture, such as rough plaster walls and colorful 'pasta' tile floors. The original house's steel beams and arched ceiling were restored.
In contrast to the thick stone walls and tall openings in the historic house, the new addition is a rugged concrete frame that is filled with either glass, stone, or brick screen, depending on the program. The new living room is elevated to meet the top of the pool and provide space for a cistern. The change in elevation also enhances the journey from the front of the house, with its home office and workspace, to the more tranquil rear of the house. Here, the living room is bracketed by a desert garden with native plants as well as a jungle garden - two distinct environments that require little to no watering. The north face of the two-story addition is angled to face due north, minimizing solar heat gain. The house is split into three courtyards - a small traditional courtyard with ivy and flowers, a middle, native desert garden, and a rear jungle that gives privacy to a guest house. Beyond the main house are a small pink guest house and laundry room.
Under the arch of the guest house is separate access to the pool on a floating chukum plaster pad. The guest house is capped by hand-made cement breeze blocks that were cast on site. Throughout, the house's materiality and finishes are tough but tactile and show the execution of the work. The house includes custom steel windows and doors and all custom millwork. Besides the painted facade, all of the plaster is integral color, including the pink on the guest house and the light green in the office. Besides the durable materials and large expanses of glass for natural light, roof-top solar panels send electricity back to the grid to reduce consumption and maintenance. And the courtyard gardens ensure an almost constant breeze instead of relying solely on air conditioning to cool the home. Text description by the architects.
