Quinto Sol house, set in a verdant site in Punta Mita in Nayarit, is a private home designed to offer a gentle – but unmistakable – connection to the Mexican West Coast's abundant nature. Its author, the emerging studio of architect Cristina Grappin, drew heavily on the site's dramatic context – the long views of the Pacific Ocean and the green cliff that forms the surrounding terrain.
Quinto Sol house: the grand tour
Crafted in three, low, independent volumes, Quinto Sol House was conceived to unfold 'in a subtle rhythm of private and public spaces,' its architect explains. 'Throughout the project, both the ocean and the lush greenery that define the Nayarit coastline are ever-present, either fully embraced by panoramic views or hinted at within spaces that gradually reveal the landscape.'
The home was imagined as an 'intimate getaway'. Grappin's expert spatial design cleverly conceals the fact that the expansive retreat contains eleven bedrooms and multiple social areas – both enclosed spaces and al fresco terraces that serve as open-air living and dining rooms to be used throughout the year, thanks to the region's warm climate.
The three structures are minimalist and remain close to the ground. From the outside, they read more as a series of small pavilions than the generous holiday home they form. Taking her cues from the local climate, materials and traditions of this part of Mexico, Grappin moulded Quinto Sol House to fit seamlessly within its site.
She writes: 'A central patio functions as an enclosed oasis and transitional space, connecting the main bedrooms – located on the highest point of the terrain for optimal views of the water – with a breezy dining and living room area. There, a low, wooden ceiling envelopes the array of natural textures found in the furniture, which prominently features contemporary Mexican designers and artisans, a fixture of Estudio Cristina Grappin’s work in interiors.'
The structure is predominantly built in locally sourced stone and wood. The textured limewashed walls and green envelope of the abundant nature on site add a tactile dimension to the composition.
-
Click to buy: how will we buy watches in 2026?Time was when a watch was bought only in a shop - the trying on was all part of the 'white glove' sales experience. But can the watch industry really put off the digital world any longer?
-
Don't miss these art exhibitions to see in JanuaryStart the year with an inspiring dose of culture - here are the best things to see in January
-
Unmissable fashion exhibitions to add to your calendar in 2026From a trip back to the 1990s at Tate Britain to retrospectives on Schiaparelli, Madame Grès and Vivienne Westwood, 2026 looks set to continue the renaissance of the fashion exhibition
-
For Rodríguez + De Mitri, a budding Cuernavaca architecture practice, design is 'conversation’Rodríguez + De Mitri stands for architecture that should be measured, intentional and attentive – allowing both the environment and its inhabitants to breathe
-
Mexico's Office of Urban Resilience creates projects that cities can learn fromAt Office of Urban Resilience, the team believes that ‘architecture should be more than designing objects. It can be a tool for generating knowledge’
-
These Guadalajara architects mix modernism with traditional local materials and craftGuadalajara architects Laura Barba and Luis Aurelio of Barbapiña Arquitectos design drawing on the past to imagine the future
-
This Mexican architecture studio has a surprising creative processThe architects at young practice Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) often begin each design by writing out their intentions, ideas and the emotions they want the architecture to evoke
-
The architecture of Mexico's RA! draws on cinematic qualities and emotionRA! was founded by Cristóbal Ramírez de Aguilar, Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar and Santiago Sierra, as a multifaceted architecture practice in Mexico City, mixing a cross-disciplinary approach and a constant exchange of ideas
-
A cubist house rises in Mexico City, its concrete volumes providing a bold urban refugeCasa Ailes, a cubist house by Jaime Guzmán Creative Group, is rich in architectural expression that mimics the dramatic and inviting nature of a museum
-
Serenity radiates through this Mexican home, set between two ravinesOn the cusp of a lakeside town, Mexican home Casa el Espino is a single-storey residence by Soler Orozco Arquitectos (SOA)
-
Mexican landscape architect Mario Schjetnan's Grupo de Diseño wins 2025 Oberlander PrizeThe 2025 Oberlander Prize goes to Mexican landscape architect Mario Schjetnan and his studio, Grupo de Diseño, highlighting the creative's motto: 'We have a human right to open space'
