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Location: La Barra, Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Project size: 2,690 square feet

Program: For architecture and design aficionados Mónica Guisa and Christian Vargas, Estudio Carroll has designed Casa Toro, a vacation house that evokes a modern ruin amid a lush landscape.

Design Solution: Casa Toro’s elevated site along Mexico’s west coast offers breathtaking views of both the ocean and the southern Sierra Madre mountains—but its wedge-shaped plot proved challenging for the architects. Ultimately, Estudio Carroll combined two cylinders of the same diameter, which overlap such that the circumference of one intersects with the center of the other. Inscribed within them are cubic volumes accommodating the house’s functions. Held up by arches, the resulting array of dazzling, superimposed openings permit the flow of a gentle sea breeze.

Photos © Cesar Belio

Inside the house, large sliding screens made of wood further define spaces and provide privacy when necessary. The living area and other rooms transform into terraces; the dining room blends with the pool. The programmatic distribution and open-plan organization establish a circuitous path between spaces, turning the house into a meeting point between the residents and nature.

Structure and Materials: The envelope, conceived as a stereotomic structure, transmits force through the use of arches—allowing much of the interior to remain open. According to the architects, the palette celebrates the place and local craft traditions—the cool tones of the concrete evoke the blue waters, while the sand-colored floors and walls, coated in a traditional stucco technique called chukum, evoke the nearby beaches.

Additional Information
Completion date: October 2023
Site size: .09 acres acres
Total construction cost: $120,000 (construction)
Client/Owner: Monica Guisa and Christian Vargas

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Photos © Richard Stow

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Images courtesy Estudio Carroll; click to enlarge