The abundance of year-round light in Mexico has been a boon for local architects, as each successive generation is becoming increasingly adept at finessing spaces that harness both its presence and, even more critically, its absence.
As Luis Armando Gómez Solórzano, the director of Tuxtla Gutiérrez-based Apaloosa Estudio de Arquitectura y Diseño says, ‘everything is light in architecture, so knowing how to absorb it, sift it and distribute it is the architect's great challenge.’
By any yardstick, it’s a challenge that he and his team have solved with admirable results in the Ataúlfo House, a spacious five-bedroom aerie in Castillo Tielmans, an old residential neighbourhood of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of the south-east Mexican state of Chiapas.
The commission is located in the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of the south-east Mexican state of Chiapas.
Named for the mango tree that is indigenous to the area and which grows on its grounds, Ataúlfo House is a sensitive response to a number of site variables, among them, its proximity to the main road and the heat basin created by the path of the sun.
The challenge of designing the house, says Solórzano, was to passively optimise light and natural ventilation. To that end, a terrace of brick vaults and a façade of polyurethane and steel plates shield the house from the worst of the afternoon heat, whilst leaving the north façade open to prevailing winds and views of Tuxtla Gutiérrez and the rugged hills of Cañón del Sumidero.
The interior space – highly vaulted to slow down the storage of heat – is washed in an alternating palette of filtered light and cool shade, the expansive mood accented by swathes of exposed reinforced concrete and structural steel, alongside warm panels of locally sourced huanacaxtle and parota timber.
Ambient temperature and exterior noise are further regulated by a landscaping of regional trees and vegetation that forms natural sunshades and micro-climates amidst the long corridors and patios. All of which gives Ataúlfo House the kind of cooling measures which we are so fond of.
The house is a spacious five-bedroom aerie in the neighbourhood of Castillo Tielmans.
Through their design, the architects aimed to maximise natural light and ventilation.
A colonade ensures filtered light and cool shade.
The interior is highly vaulted to slow down the storage of heat.
Timber is contrasted by raw concrete in a striking balance.
Parts of the spaces are clad in warm panels of locally sourced huancaxtle and parota timber.
The project was named for the mango tree that is indigenous to the area and which grows on its grounds.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Apaloosa Estudio de Arquitectura y Diseño websit
-
Omar Degan to curate first Pan-African architecture biennaleThe first Pan-African architecture biennale has been announced, taking place in Nairobi in 2026; we caught up with its inaugural curator, architect Omar Degan, to discuss the festival's mission, vision and scope
-
Slate is an ultra-simple EV truck intended as an affordable and customisable workhorseSlate designer Tisha Johnson discusses her role at the US electric truck start-up, a company that wants its customers to have complete freedom of expression
-
Teenage Engineering switches to the dark side with the Field System Black seriesNone more black: TE’s studio in a pocket is reissued in a new matte black finish to match the cult audio company’s OP-XY sequencer
-
In Quintana Roo, a park mesmerises with its geometric pavilionA Mexican events venue in the state of Quintana Roo rings the changes with a year-round pavilion that fosters a strong connection between its users and nature
-
Casa La Paz is a private retreat in Baja California full of texture and theatricsLudwig Godefroy designed Casa La Paz in Baja California, Mexico to create deep connections between the home and its surroundings
-
Pedro y Juana's take on architecture: 'We want to level the playing field’Mexico City-based architects Pedro y Juana bring their transdisciplinary, participatory approach to the Mexico pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025; find out more
-
Tour the wonderful homes of ‘Casa Mexicana’, an ode to residential architecture in Mexico‘Casa Mexicana’ is a new book celebrating the country’s residential architecture, highlighting its influence across the world
-
A barrel vault rooftop adds drama to these homes in Mexico CityExplore Mariano Azuela 194, a housing project by Bloqe Arquitetura, which celebrates Mexico City's Santa Maria la Ribera neighbourhood
-
Explore a minimalist, non-religious ceremony space in the Baja California DesertSpiritual Enclosure, a minimalist, non-religious ceremony space designed by Ruben Valdez in Mexico's Baja California Desert, offers flexibility and calm
-
La Cuadra: Luis Barragán’s Mexico modernist icon enters a new chapterLa Cuadra San Cristóbal by Luis Barragán is reborn through a Fundación Fernando Romero initiative in Mexico City; we meet with the foundation's founder, architect and design curator Fernando Romero to discuss the plans
-
Enjoy whale watching from this east coast villa in Mexico, a contemporary oceanside gemEast coast villa Casa Tupika in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, is designed by architecture studios BLANCASMORAN and Rzero to be in harmony with its coastal and tropical context
