Ventana House is a 20th century-inspired Mexico City home

Daytime external image of Ventana House in Mexico, flat white roof, red brick supporting pillar, green lawn, shrubs, plants and trees, windows, stone patio area with irregular shaped stone steps, tables and chairs, blue cloudy sky

(Image credit: Rafael Gamo)

last updated 27 September 2022

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In the Lomas de Chapultepec neighbourhood of Mexico City, a low, linear volume lies nestled in the leafy greenery. This is Ventana House, the Mexico City home of local architect José Juan Rivera Rio, who crafted the elegant residence as a live/work space for himself and his boutique practice JJRR/Arquitectura. Ventana House, as the project was called in a nod to its street name, was inspired by Mexico City's architectural history and in particular its rich 1950s modernist architecture legacy – which Rivera Rio blended here with 21st-century style and sensibility.

The architect placed his new-build house in the middle of its generous plot – a space measuring roughly 800 sq m. This way, he was able to ensure all four sides can look out to nature and are open to allow for air circulation and views. At the same time, inspiration was drawn ‘from the beginnings of modernism, Bauhaus and brutalism, as well as midcentury modern movements. And for this house in particular, the modern styles of some residential parts of Mexico City, but without losing sight of the basic guidelines of modernism.'

Daytime exterior image of Ventana House in Mexico among greenery, flat white roof, red brick supporting pillar, green lawn, shrubs, plants and trees, windows, stone patio area with irregular shaped stone steps, tables and chairs, blue cloudy sky

A fairly restrained material palette, including brick, volcanic stone and concrete, as well as steel for the window frames, creates a durable and low-maintenance composition, but also gives the home its hardwearing and utilitarian feel. This is mixed with midcentury references throughout. Inside, furniture by designers such as Don Shoemaker, Frank Kyle, Johannes Andersen, Peter Løvig Nielsen, and Serge Mouille further highlight the project's 20th-century influences.

The property is used as both the home of the architect and his four-strong family, and a workspace, where Rivera Rio's studio can meet and produce its striking Mexican architecture offerings such as 2019's Casa Vertientes. Three double bedrooms and ample open-plan living space complement the generous home study area – all arranged across two levels, one above ground, and one delicately semi-sunken into the earth.

‘The project's biggest challenge was adapting the architecture and the residential way of life of the 1950s, as seen in examples found in Mexico City, to the present, while of course always keeping in mind the key principles of modernist architecture,' Rivera Rio explains.

Daytime side image of Ventana House in Mexico among greenery, flat white roof, red brick supporting pillars, green lawn with stone paved pathway, shrubs, plants and trees, windows, stone patio area with irregular shaped stone steps, tables and chairs, blue cloudy sky

Interior of chairs and sofas in Ventana House in Mexico, wooden floor, grey/green walls, wooden glazed tall cabinet with black handle, wall art, wall light, dark wood side table with gold lamp and decorative items, grey textured sofa with black piping, grey sofa, striped cushion

Daytime exterior side image of Ventana House in Mexico among greenery, flat white roof, red brick supporting pillar, green lawn, shrubs, plants and trees, windows, stone patio area with irregular shaped stone steps, tables and chairs, blue sky with light white clouds

Bedroom looking out to garden at Ventana House in Mexico, double baed with white covers and two white pillows, grey wall with surrounding windows, end of bed wooden table with potted plant and silver ornament, wall light with white shade over bed, white ceiling with skylight windows, wooden floor

Wall art inside Ventana House in Mexico, wood flooring, wall lights, large orange floor rug, grey/green walls, two doors built into the wall with black door handles, white ceiling with skylight windows

Daytime exterior side image of Ventana House in Mexico among greenery, flat white roof, red brick chimney, green lawn, shrubs, plants and trees, windows, stone patio area, tables and chairs, blue sky with light white clouds

Wooden office desk with book shelf at Ventana House in Mexico, orange chair, potted plants, floor standing lamp, grey walls, wall art, windows, outside garden area

Styled interior at Ventana House in Mexico, Olive walls, wooden floor, natural wood table, wall art , wall light, grey steps, floor mat, wooden door frame, white ceiling, spotlight

INFORMATION

josejuanriverario.com

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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).

With contributions from

Rafael Gamo - Photography

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