Architect Manuel Cervantes invites us into his live/work headquarters
Mexican architect Manuel Cervantes has completed Casa Estudio, his own, new, live/work space in the country's capital, combining domesticity with ample studio space, local traditions and contemporary architecture

Embedded in one of the many hills that make up Mexico City’s upscale Lomas neighborhood, architect Manuel Cervantes’ recently completed Casa Estudio makes the case for redefining the concept of work-life balance. ‘As an architect who is trying to create personal, domestic, and human spaces, I find that it’s difficult to have conversations about these concepts inside an office space,' says Cervantes, who began toying with the idea of designing a home and studio for himself in 2014. ‘At the time,' he recalls, ‘I was thinking about my relationships with my clients, and how some atmospheres and intentions are easier shown than described.'
The result is a three-bedroom home that integrates an ample studio space, blurring the lines between one and the other, while showcasing the principles that have come to characterize Cervantes’ practice; a structure that pays homage to its construction system by laying it bare, a straightforward materials palette, and the idea of marrying local traditions with contemporary spaces.
RELATED STORY
‘It was important for me to have this stand out as a Mexico City home which would echo the natural and built elements that make up this city,' says the architect, adding that ‘in the studio, we’re never seeking the newest material or most innovative system; instead, we try to exalt context and culture.' In addition to concrete, materials, such as regional volcanic stone and locally-sourced pine wood, were employed throughout the project, and endemic vegetation makes up the lush gardens that envelop it.
It’s no coincidence that these elements are not only characteristic of Mexico City, but share a tendency to become more interesting with age. ‘I imagine the house will only improve as it acquires the patina of time,' says Cervantes. Linking this idea to the project’s intention of embracing and expressing the local context, he concludes, ‘I can’t imagine a pristine atmosphere expressing Mexico City.'
INFORMATION
-
New London show ‘Hardcore’ probes the power dynamics of desire
At Sadie Coles HQ, London, the provocative exhibition ‘Hardcore’ is a bold, explicit exploration of carnal desires and intimacy
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
Parisian jewellery brand Héloïse & Abélard is championing secondhand diamonds
Héloïse Schapiro marries fluid jewellery design with sustainable methods
By Hannah Silver • Published
-
Vauxhall Astra hybrid is sober and stealthy
Once a mainstay of the best-seller lists, the Vauxhall Astra’s star is fading. Can hybridisation put this modest machine back on the radar?
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Casa Enso II is in harmony with its Mexican context
Casa Enso II by HW Studio Architects is a new residence in tune with Mexico’s historic Guanajuato region
By Nana Ama Owusu-Ansah • Published
-
Mexico City equestrian clubhouse makes stunning impression on the landscape
Studio RC’s steel and concrete stables and equestrian clubhouse are set within a wooded valley, offering space and views for sports and equine care
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Cabo Sports Complex is anchored to its site through volume and material
Cabo Sports Complex by Taller Hector Barroso in Baja California is the new home for the Mexican Tennis Open
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Extraordinary escapes: where would you like to be?
Peruse and lose yourself in these extraordinary escapes; there's nothing better to get the creative juices flowing than a healthy dose of daydreaming
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Casa Alferez is a fortress-like holiday home with impossibly lofty interiors
Soaring high in the Mexican forest, Casa Alferez, a fortress-like holiday home by Ludwig Godefroy, hides and protects impossibly lofty interiors
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Considerate Mexico City housing emerges from heritage transformation by Pedro y Juana
Mexico city housing T42 is born out of the transformation of a historical home by architecture studio Pedro y Juana
By Harriet Thorpe • Published
-
A minimalist Mexican home has rocky roots
Echegaray, a minimalist Mexican home by Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados, draws on its rocky site, which peeps out from its lower levels
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
This slim Condesa house in Mexico City blends rawness and nature
Casa Parras, a Condesa house in Mexico City, is the brainchild of two studios – Alberto Kalach’s TAX and Emilio A Cohen's Tow Va Bow
By Ellie Stathaki • Published