Cadaval & Sola-Morales design Casa de la Roca forest retreat

Cadaval Sola-Morales’s Casa de la Roca in Mexico is the perfect forest retreat

Mexico’s Casa de la Roca is the latest idyllic retreat by Spain and Mexico-based architects Cadaval Sola-Morales

(Image credit: Sandra Pereznieto)

last updated 11 October 2022

If you're after an idyllic nature retreat, look no further than the work of the Barcelona- and Mexico City-based architecture practice headed by Eduardo Cadaval & Clara Solà-Morales. The pair have been producing a number of striking residences over the last few years – such as their recent getaway made of volcanic stone – and Casa de la Roca, nestled in the deep forests of Mexico, is their latest offering.

The low-rise house is striking in its simplicity and synergy with nature – but it was really designed to be as subtle and discreet as possible, in order to let the surrounding leafy nature take centre stage. Designed as a holiday home, the house features three long ‘arms'. These wings house bedrooms in different configurations, while the point where they all join up – the structure's heart – becomes the main living space, comprising an open-plan living and dining area, and a kitchen.

The architects understandably wanted to maintain a strong connection between indoors and outdoors, so their strategy was simple; they treated each wing as a lookout point, while the living spaces are surrounded by large expanses of glass that keep the striking vistas visible throughout.

At the same time, the house is made of timber – remaining in sync with the forest's materiality – and uses wood from fallen or dead trees found on site and in the wider area. The green roof helps camouflage the structure, while its black painted exterior goes one step further in making it blend with its context.

‘We used paint (and not dye), to add another layer of material protection; dye tends to lose its qualities over the years', explain the architects. ‘It is black, responding to the desire to blend in with the landscape, seeking a certain anonymity in front of the vegetation and exuberant views.'

Cadaval Sola-Morales design Mexico House — The low-rise house sits in the middle of a rich forest.

Cadaval Sola-Morales design house in mexican forest — The structure’s green roof helps it blend seamlessly with its surroundings.

Cadaval Sola-Morales design forest retreat — The house comprises three distinct wings, which are treated as lookout points.

Forest retreat by Cadaval Sola-Morales in mexico — The heart of the house - the point where all wings join up - features a generous open plan living space.

Forest house by Cadaval Sola-Morales in mexico — The architects ensured this space features large openings that merge inside and outside.

Mexican forest retreat by Cadaval Sola-Morales — The long ’arms’ of the retreat host bedrooms in a variety of configurations.

Mexico forest house by Cadaval Sola-Morales — The architects used wood obtained from fallen or dead trees in the area for the construction.

INFORMATION

For more information visit the website of Cadaval & Solà-Morales

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).