Interview about Casa de Mar Single Family Residence , winner of the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award 2024
Casa de Mar is a residence in Mérida, Yucatán, that embraces the symbiotic relationship between architecture and nature. The design integrates tranquil gardens, natural ventilation, and lighting. A central pool provides a cool breeze through water evaporation, reducing the need for air conditioning. Local materials like stone and wood are used for durability and contextual harmony. The interior design promotes serenity with a nature-inspired color palette, soft textures, and diffused lighting, creating peaceful spaces for relaxation.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsAbsolutely. The central pool in Casa de Mar is both a climatic and experiential core of the project. Positioned at the heart of the horseshoe-shaped layout, it functions as a natural cooling system by generating cross-ventilation and evaporative cooling, lowering indoor temperatures without relying heavily on mechanical air conditioning. This passive strategy not only reduces energy consumption but also enhances comfort by maintaining a consistent, pleasant microclimate throughout the day.Beyond its technical performance, the pool becomes a sensorial element, reflecting light into the interior spaces, introducing the sound and movement of water, and visually connecting the social and private areas of the house. It transforms daily routines into experiences closely tied to nature, reinforcing our goal of creating architecture that breathes, adapts, and lives in balance with its environment.
Our approach to spatial continuity in Casa de Mar was deeply inspired by the way traditional Yucatecan homes engage with nature, particularly their use of patios, terraces, and transitional spaces that blur the line between indoors and outdoors. In Mérida’s tropical climate, daily life naturally flows toward the exterior, and we wanted to reinterpret that vernacular logic in a contemporary way.The house is designed so that natural light, wind, and vegetation become active components of the architecture. Open corridors, framed garden views, and the central pool create a living environment that breathes and evolves throughout the day. This continuity not only enhances comfort but also reflects the cultural rhythm of Yucatán; where life is slower, more tactile, and deeply connected to the landscape. Ultimately, the goal was to create a home that feels both grounded in its context and timeless in its simplicity, resonating with the region’s spirit of quiet sophistication and respect for nature.
The material selection for Casa de Mar was guided by a desire to root the project in its place, both environmentally and culturally. We began by studying the textures, tones, and building traditions of Yucatán, where limestone, tropical woods, and handcrafted finishes are integral to the local identity. These materials were not chosen only for their beauty, but for their performance in the region’s climate: stone provides thermal mass that regulates temperature, while wood adds warmth and tactility to the interiors.We collaborated closely with local artisans and suppliers to ensure that each element carried the authenticity of regional craftsmanship while meeting the durability and maintenance needs of contemporary living. This process created a dialogue between tradition and modernity; where familiar materials are reinterpreted through minimalist details and refined proportions. The result is an architecture that doesn’t compete with its surroundings but coexists with them, aging gracefully and reinforcing a sense of belonging to the Yucatecan landscape.
In Casa de Mar, the separation between social and private areas was conceived as a way to balance family life, especially for a household with two small children, while maintaining the open, fluid quality that defines the project. The layout adopts a horseshoe configuration around the central pool, allowing the social spaces to open completely toward the garden while keeping the private bedrooms more secluded along the quieter wings of the house.
The natural ventilation strategy in Casa de Mar was developed through a deep understanding of Mérida’s tropical climate and prevailing winds. The home’s horseshoe-shaped layout and orientation were carefully designed to capture the dominant east–southeast breezes, allowing air to flow naturally through the interior spaces. Large operable openings on opposite façades encourage cross-ventilation, while clerestory windows help release warm air, creating a constant, gentle airflow throughout the day.The central pool plays a crucial role in this system, it acts as a natural cooling lung. As air moves across the water’s surface, it cools through evaporation before entering the surrounding living spaces. This lowers the perceived temperature by several degrees and helps maintain a comfortable indoor environment with minimal reliance on air conditioning.Combined with shading devices and the use of regional materials with high thermal mass, the design creates a passive cooling system that’s both efficient and experiential. The result is a home that feels fresh, open, and in harmony with its surroundings, where comfort is achieved through the thoughtful use of nature rather than mechanical systems.
The landscaping of Casa de Mar was conceived as an extension of the architecture, not just as decoration, but as an active participant in the home’s microclimate. Mérida’s tropical conditions, with intense sun and seasonal rains, demanded a thoughtful balance between resilience and serenity.The gardens are interwoven with the architecture to encourage natural ventilation, shade, and evaporative cooling. Courtyards and planted corridors filter light and soften transitions between interior and exterior, while the central patio around the pool becomes the home’s green heart. The vegetation changes subtly with light and season, offering constant sensory variety while maintaining a meditative calm.By grounding the design in local ecology, the landscape becomes more than a backdrop, it’s a living system that supports comfort, biodiversity, and emotional well-being. It reflects the Yucatán’s natural richness and reinforces the project’s philosophy: harmony between architecture, people, and place.
The interior palette of Casa de Mar was guided by the same principle that defines the architecture: calm, balance, and connection with nature. We wanted the interiors to feel like an extension of the gardens and the surrounding landscape, so we worked with a soft, earthy palette inspired by Yucatán’s natural tones: limestone whites, sand beiges, and muted greens used as a neutral base. These colors allow light to move gently across surfaces, creating a sense of serenity throughout the day.Materiality played a central role. We prioritized tactile finishes, cement based plasters, natural stone, linen, and warm woods, chosen not just for their aesthetic harmony but for how they age and respond to light and humidity. The result is a sensory experience: spaces that invite touch, slow movement, and contemplation.Lighting was treated as another material, using diffuse sources and warm temperatures to reinforce the softness of the environment. Together, these elements create interiors that feel both timeless and alive; peaceful spaces that encourage rest, presence, and a deep connection to the natural rhythm of the house.
The horseshoe form of Casa de Mar emerged organically from both environmental and experiential intentions. From the early design stages, we knew the project had to respond to Mérida’s hot, humid climate while maintaining a strong connection to the landscape. The curved, inward-facing configuration allowed us to open the home toward a central garden and pool; creating a protected microclimate where breezes are naturally funneled through the interiors.As the design evolved, the form became not only a climatic response but also a spatial one. It allowed for a clear separation between social and private areas while maintaining visual continuity and openness. The void at the center, the pool courtyard, became the heart of the home, ensuring every space benefits from natural ventilation, filtered light, and a constant dialogue with water and vegetation.
During the construction of Casa de Mar, one of the most rewarding aspects was how the project continued to evolve through direct interaction with the site and the craftsmen. Early on, we discovered that the quality of light and the way the breeze moved through the property were far more dynamic than expected. This led us to refine window dimensions, adjust overhangs, and slightly reposition the pool to maximize airflow and natural illumination. These subtle shifts made the experience of the spaces more fluid and comfortable.Another important adaptation came from working closely with local artisans. The handmade finishes, such as plaster walls and custom carpentry, revealed unique textures that couldn’t be fully anticipated in drawings. Rather than control every variation, we embraced these imperfections as part of the home’s authenticity, allowing the architecture to reflect the human touch of its makers.Finally, the landscaping evolved with the rhythm of construction. Some species originally specified were replaced with hardier native plants after observing how they responded to the microclimate created by the architecture. In the end, these on-site discoveries made the project richer: more attuned to its environment, more personal, and more alive than the initial design could have imagined.
Casa de Mar embodies Binomio Taller’s philosophy "the complexity of simplicity" through an architecture that appears effortless yet is deeply intentional in every gesture. The home’s calm, minimal form conceals a series of layered design decisions that balance function, climate, and emotion. Each element, from the horseshoe layout and the pool’s evaporative cooling system to the proportions of openings and material palette, was refined to achieve comfort and beauty with the least possible means.In daily life, this simplicity translates into a sense of ease. Spaces flow naturally without corridors or unnecessary divisions; light and air move freely, guided by the architecture rather than technology. Materials age gracefully and require little maintenance, allowing the house to evolve organically with its inhabitants.What may seem simple is, in truth, the result of precision: of observing, editing, and distilling until only what’s essential remains. Casa de Mar demonstrates that true simplicity isn’t the absence of complexity but the mastery of it, a quiet sophistication that reflects both the landscape of Yucatán and the clarity at the heart of Binomio’s design ethos.
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