Splendid Casa SJA I In Michoacán, Mexico

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Anne Francis
Anne Francishttps://myfancyhouse.com/
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Finished in 2012 by CDM Arquitectos, Casa SJA is an inviting and luxurious abode that is located at the core of a bay in Michoacán, Mexico. The residence was built on a single platform and was designed in such a way as to preserve almost all of the natural elements of the site, whether we’re talking about prominent rocks, endemic trees or cactuses.


The master bedroom, which is one of the most luxurious rooms in the house, is orientated southwards, while the living room and kitchen face east. The north side is reserved for the grill, wood oven and bar, while the swimming pool is located at the west and offers breathtaking panoramas of the sea. Embedded in the local hillside are four guest rooms complemented by the service areas and a beach club.


The materials used for this original project comprise “sandblasted” exposed concrete, laminated wood that was used for the beams and columns as well as cedar wood. The roof was put together using locally sourced wood and palm. The exterior floors were made out of “Coraline” stone, while “sandblasted” marble is found indoors.

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From the architect:

SJA I House is located at the center of a bay on the Mexican Pacific, 20 meters above sea level.

The main premises of the project were to maintain the visual and spatial relationship between the hill and the sea. We developed the program respecting the important natural elements and generated gardens between them; and laid out the main program in a single platform.

To achieve this we generated a main axis between the hill and the sea, pointed at “El Morro” (referring to the landscape of the bay), from which the program was organized. The project achieved to retain virtually all existing natural features of the land; cactus, endemic trees and prominent rocks.

The architectural program is developed from a Palapa located in the heart of the site, aligned with the major axis as a ”plaza”. West of the palapa and towards the sea is the pool that is bound by the 20 meter drop to the sea. To the south is the master bedroom, to the north are the bar, grill and wood oven, to the east are the kitchen and the living room that respects the visual continuity to the hill. The house also features 4 independent guest rooms embedded in the hill, a beach club, plus service areas.

The materials used were stone extracted from the hill to form the main platform and the walls. ‘Sandblasted’ exposed concrete which was specified for structural reasons. Columns and beams made of laminated wood from certified forests. Cedar woodwork for its stability in the local climate and its aroma. For external roof we used wood and local palm. For floorings we used ‘sandblasted’ marble (for a smooth and non-skid texture) indoors and “Coraline” stone for exteriors due to its thermal capacity, allowing to live the whole house barefoot.

Project Architects: Javier Dueñas Estrada , Alvaro Gonzalez Guerra Gomez
Project Area: 1427.0 m2
Project Year: 2012
Photographs: Rory Gardiner, Marcos García

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Collaborators: Victor Lopez Tinajero, Delfino Lozano, Alan Macias Almirudis,, Karina Vacarizas Pizarro, Jaime Olmos Aguilar
Lighting: Javier Ten ARTENLUZ
Landscape: Juan Carlos Perez Trejo
Woodwork: Javier Jaime Villaseñor Creativos en Carpinteria
Construction: Chavez Alvarez GCPI-grupo constructor
Structures: GCPI-grupo constructor
Interiors: MUMO, Kenya Rodriguez y Karla Vazquez

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