Completed in 2014 by Plastik Arquitectos, La Tomatina House can be found in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and it represents a perfect weekend retreat. It is divided into two different parts, one of which includes a transparent glass volume, while the other is made out of stone. As you probably suspect, the stone volume was designed to house the private areas such as the bedrooms, while the glass one comprises the public elements of the house.
The materials for the La Tomatina House were chosen specifically to maintain a connection with the local environment while respecting the natural restrictions of the site. They include steel, glass, wood, natural stone as well as exposed and rusted concrete. The different volumes that we mentioned before flaunt different heights and different structural systems. For example, the public volume boasts an open floor plan and an open terrace, while the private area was equipped with load bearing partitions.
From the architect:
The project of this weekend house in the countryside is divided into two parts: an open, welcoming glass volume open to views and public functions of the house, and an enclosed stone volume that protects the bedrooms (the intimate area), the permeability of the volumes is designed according to the level of privacy of the enclosures.
The space contained in the public area loses its materiality to the outside of the property generating a constant dialogue with the landscape. From within the boundaries of the space, they extend outside the house. “The house is part of the countryside and the countryside is part of the home”, intensifying the spatial fluidity to the fullest. The construction is adapted to the conditions of the place, looking for the best views and orientations, it expands its limits in public spaces and ensures privacy in the private ones.
Both volumes were designed with a different structural system and different height, the intimate area has load bearing partitions, and the public area was designed with an open floor plan with ribbed slabs and slender metal posts. Over the public area, the house features an open terrace that allows panoramic views of the city and the countryside.
Taking advantage of the natural slope of the land, the house is located in the highest part, favoring spectacular views. The access to the house is determined based on platforms and stairways creating a path that connects the different exterior spaces of the house: a place for social events, an area for campfires and terraces for the public area and intimate area.
In this project we use materials in harmony with the environment looking to avoid affecting the image of the site. Natural stone, exposed and rusted concrete, wood and steel make up the materiality of the house discreetly and in balance with the environment.
Project Year: 2014
Photographs: Oscar Hernández
