A circular courtyard for gazing up at the stars sits at the centre of this stone-clad holiday home in Mexico, which has been designed by Guatemalan practice YDR Studio.
Named Casa Suna, the 700-square-metre home sits between the sea and mountains in La Ribera, and has been finished in a palette of pale stone and timber in order to visually complement the surrounding, sandy landscape.
“The core concept for the design was to create a seamless integration with its diverse landscape, which includes beach dunes, desert vegetation, and mountains,” YDR Studio founder Yolanda De Rueda told Dezeen.
“The design emphasised a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor spaces, using materials that complemented the local environment,” she added.
Set back from the road, the home is accessed via a pale concrete path that leads between a service house and garage and across a large, “desert-inspired” courtyard planted with cacti.
The axis of this path leads directly into the heart of the home, where the circular courtyard features a stepped seating area around a central fire pit and connects to a living, dining and kitchen area through a large set of folding wooden doors.
Facing the beach, a wall of full-height windows provides this living area and the main bedroom with panoramic views, as well as access onto a concrete terrace finished with seating and hammocks and a stepping-stone like patio and swimming pool.
“A distinctive circular patio serves as the home’s centrepiece, featuring a fire pit and circular sofa for relaxation, meditation, and social gatherings. Its open design frames the night sky, creating an ideal setting for stargazing,” Rueda told Dezeen.
The front of the property extends to the beach with a spacious terrace where sculptural concrete cubes form the pool, jacuzzi, and steps that lead directly to the sand, ensuring a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor living.
“These sculptural blocks, reminiscent of playful beach memories, unite the house with the sea in a fun and functional manner,” she added.
The bedrooms wrap two sides of the central courtyard, positioned to offer views both towards the beach and across the courtyard at the front of the home.
The gently sloping roof of Casa Suna is punctured by several small, round skylights that pull light into the bathrooms and bedrooms, while a roof terrace above the living area provides panoramic views out towards the mountains.
The neutral tones of the home’s local stone and concrete exterior are carried through to the interiors, with pale painted walls, stone finishes in the bathrooms and dark wood accents.
“Local stone and beige concrete reflect the natural hues of the sand, while warm wooden accents echo the desert environment. Travertine marble in the bathrooms adds an elegant touch, ensuring consistency with the overall material palette,” said Rueda.
Other homes recently completed in Mexico include a secluded retreat by Carlos H Matos, finished with thick, sculptural walls of ochre-coloured concrete.
The photography is by Luz Imelda Castillo.
