Tear down, build new: Most architects seem to work according to this motto these days. But not Veinte Diezz Arquitectos, who have turned a forgotten and dilapidated house in Mérida, Mexico, into a modern residential oasis where a large part of life takes place outside.
If you’re sprinting through the streets of Mérida in the Mexican state of Yucatán with your eyes glued to your smartphone, you’re missing out on a real gem. Where since last year a small, fine and hidden vacation home invites you to relax, the wrecking ball once almost struck. Instead of renovating the remaining walls of the neglected
building completely, Veinte Diezz Arquitectos wanted to leave the plot, which is only five by thirty-one meters, as it was and breathe new life into the house through creative renovation.
The fact that the sun often shines in Mexico benefits the project, as important parts of the transformed building are outdoors. Around 70 percent of the original structure was preserved, which reduced the ecological footprint of the construction work. The historic stone walls are a reminder of history, while the modern interior carries the house into the future. A clear goal led the elaborate project: More light must come in. A new floor plan divides the house into six different areas – three covered and three open. The transition between inside and outside is fluid. The heart of the building is the inner courtyard, which also functions as a passive cooling element. So while passers-by swelter in the heat, the happy owners of the Vistalcielo can relax in the pool, enjoy the coolness of the stone walls and look up at the sky.
VISTALCIELO
Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Architecture: Veinte Diezz Arquitectos
Lead architect: Kelly Buffey, Robert Kastelic,
Project team: Asiria Uribia Peniche
Location: Calle 41 n. 464 A, Centro
Centro Histórico, Mérida,
Yucatán, Mexico
Built-up area: 155 m
veintediezz.com
You can see which other buildings Veinte Diezz enchants here.
Photos: © Manolo R. Solís
You can find more extraordinary buildings here.
