Matia Di Frenna Muller · CLIENT: Di Frenna Arquitectos
Espacio Kaab is a house designed for a young couple on a sloping site beside a river in Nogueras, Colima, Mexico. The design combines a Japanese influence with local Mexican building traditions. Stone, earth and wood are used together with steel and concrete, so that the house blends visually with the surrounding landscape. Durable stone, concrete and Chukum stucco were selected for outdoor areas, while wood and wicker were placed in protected spaces. The same natural stone floor continues inside and outside, softening the boundary between the house and its setting.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Espacio Kaab is a house project for a young couple, where the fundamental requirement was the interaction with the environment and the use of materials visually and conceptually integrated with the natural context, such as stone and earth, giving a modern touch with steel and concrete. The difficult topography of the land gave the opportunity to do a strong and unique character in the area, is a project with a lot of interesting spaces, beautiful views and environments that blend with the nature.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Gross square footage: 4,316 S.F.
- Tags
- rammedearth, concrete, stone, wood, vegetation, landscape
- Production Technology
- For the selection of materials, several criteria were used, one of the most important was that the project should integrate visually with the area, therefore priority was given to materials with a natural tendency, such as wood, stone and earth.
Trying to minimize maintenance and future restorations, we selected the most durable materials for outdoor spaces, such as stone, concrete and "Chukum" stucco, while the more delicate materials such as wood and wicker were placed in protected areas. - Design Challenge
- The land of the project is next to a river surrounded by nature and had a complicated topography, it is immersed in an area of houses and historical buildings such as the Cathedral, the Rangel museum and ecological park.
These characteristics challenges us to design a harmonious and functional project, but also gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the site and develop a project interesting spaces, beautiful views and environments. - Project Duration
- The project started in January 2 2020 in Nogueras, Colima, México and finished in December 15, 2021.
- Operation Flow
- The main concept of the build was to accomplish spaces where the boundaries between inside and outside blur: where the ranges and colors of the environment integrate into the shades of the building, and where the inhabitants can walk barefoot across the considered choice of the same natural stone floor without distinguishing whether they’ve come out or into the house and delight in the phenomenology that this materiality awakens in all of their senses.
- Research
- It was decided to keep the design team small, giving very personalized attention to the clients throughout the design process. A design supervisor and a lead designer spent a great deal of time analyzing the owners and their spatial needs.
Multiple visits were made to the site and its surroundings to analyze the cultural and natural context to be rescued, and once a meticulous topographic survey was completed, work continued on the project, visiting the site and talking with the clients on an alternating basis to receive feedback throughout the design process. - Inspiration
- The architectural style to be achieved was a mixture of Japanese style that integrated elements and techniques of Mexican architecture, mainly of the local type, which can be observed in Nogueras and other neighboring towns of our building.
- Image Credits
- Imagine #1, Imagine #2, Imagine #3, Imagine #4, Imagine #5/ Photographer Lorena Darquea, 2021
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Di Frenna Arquitectos, 2022.
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