Perched on a verdant hillside overlooking the Zihuatanejo bay in the Mexican West Coast, Casa Acantilado (acantilado means ‘cliff’ in Spanish) is a striking new local landmark – guiding fishermen at night like an unofficial lighthouse, peeking out from the region's thick flora, rich with native species, birds and animals. The house is the brainchild of Zihuatanejo-based architecture studio Zozaya Arquitectos, which, led by founder Enrique Zozaya, is an expert in creating idyllic private homes that blend the local and the global.
In the case of Casa Acantilado, situated on a steeply angled plot overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the architecture team developed its design ‘as an element that emerges from the rocks, focused on the making of a place, mimicking the context thanks to the local materials and forms used, putting into practice the craft techniques and the vernacular architecture of the site'. And, true enough, the house is a harmonious blend of modernist-inspired, contemporary forms and materials, and vernacular architecture and building techniques that draw on Mexico’s heritage.
The home's main volume, containing the getaway's expansive social spaces, sits slightly angled against its plot and the cliff's incline, so as to make the most of the best vistas. Here, a large palapa (an open-air structure with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves), greets visitors, offering a cool, open-air room for relaxing and entertaining. Cleverly using traditional methods for cross ventilation, lots of alfresco areas and cool materials, such as stone, wood and palm leaves, as well as using local labour for the construction, the architects hope to help mitigate the home's energy consumption.
Casa Acantilado's other volume hosts bedrooms, as well as its signature outdoor space – an eye-catching infinity pool that makes bathers feel like they are plunging into the Pacific waters. Meanwhile, a second pool, accessed via a monumental sequence of concrete steps underneath the house, and wrapped in board-formed concrete walls, offers a contrasting experience of swimming in a cave, while looking out to the blue waters and green treetops of this idyllic retreat; a perfect space for cooling and contemplation.
INFORMATION
-
Javier's, a new cathedral-inspired restaurant in downtown LA, offers a divine take on Mexican cuisineAt the restaurant's newest location, discovery lies around every corner – and on every plate
-
We'd happily move into this super-stylish New York architecture officeMichael K Chen’s newly expanded Midtown workspace is a calling card for his intuitive style and inclusive approach
-
The Macbeth, an icon of indie sleaze, goes from grotty to gastroAn East End legend meets Portuguese small plates in Jamie Allan’s ambitious revival of a beloved Hackney watering hole
-
Pretty in cactus-inspired pink, this Mexican desert house responds to its arid contextCasa Cardona, a pink house by architects Sensacional Dinamica Mexicana, is a multigenerational home that celebrates colour and changing light
-
As climate disasters increase, can architecture respond? Kon-tigo, a post-hurricane Acapulco house design, shows us howKon-tigo is a housing project by Manuel Cervantes Estudio, which creates bioclimatic homes that address climate disasters and inequalities in Acapulco, Mexico
-
An eco-friendly Mexican ranch offers sleep under a beautifully crafted brick vaultArchitects Goma have built a Mexican ranch with a stunning red-brick guest pavilion; Rancho El Ameyal is a lush eco-retreat in the central Mexican state of Querétaro
-
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
