Designed for homeowners who wished to live in constant relationship with nature, Casa Entreparotas was built on a site that embraced existing plantlife, and respected the path of a small babbling stream. The 568 square metre home, in Colima, México, is set amongst the dense tropical vegetation, parotas and fig trees. The jungle atmosphere inspired Di Frenna Arquitectos to create a home out of neutral and stony colors, like those of a lost ruin. The build design generates a series of routes that can be used to circulate the vast house, paths that are considerate of the sites wild borders in order to promote daily natural discovery.
The two story modern home exterior is large and imposing, yet the natural vegetation that surrounds it effectively softens its scale and bulk.
Solid concrete volumes are cut through with huge expanses of glass. The volumes interlock to form linear architecture with a flat roof, whilst the green hill slopes organically below.
Graphite coloured walls break up the lighter lines of raw material, creating visually interesting areas of light and shade across the face of the building.
Exterior lights draw attention to the concrete overhangs that help shade the interior of the home from the sun's direct rays. The outdoor spotlights construct an alluring mystique around the building.
LEDs highlight a layered pool design, where mini waterfalls rush and bubble.
A lush lawn glows emerald green in the garden lights, and the branches of parotas and fig trees lean dramatically into the radiance.
The shallow concrete steps of an outdoor staircase climb through a rising bed of tropical shrubs, hovering just above the uppermost leaves.
The pool design echoes the staggered risers of the outdoor staircase, with shallow platforms that drop beneath the last as they descend the hill.
The concrete structure reflects the unwavering strength of the habitat.
The architecture takes a step back to praise what is outside, and nature rushes up to meet it.
Small gardens intertwine with the projecting volumes, to blur the borders.
The first floor balcony is equipped with its own staircase down to the forest floor.
The luxurious dining room and living room are wide open double height spaces on the lower floor of the building. This light filled heart of the home is a glass box that feels gloriously linked with the tropical beauty that can be seen in its full magnificence. A high shine stone floor reflects the bright daylight that pours in through the glass, causing an effect much like the atmospheric moving bodies of water that grant closer links with the garden.
The internal main staircase seems to climb all the way to the treetops as it ascends past towering planes of glass.
At the top of the staircase, the amazing green views continue. Natural light rushes into an elongated corridor that leads to the bedrooms. Glass balustrades exaggerate the open perspective of the landing by presenting views down to the double height ground floor.
Black steel builds the skeleton of the home.
The front entry of the home is much smaller and unassuming in comparison to how the structure opens out at the back of the property, where it becomes a jungle wonderland.
The face of the house is clean and simplified, with just a tame plant bed by the house number on the side. An inviting stone path steps around the side of the house, pushing through brush and the shade of taller trees.
The steel structure presents spaces that can be free of walls.
Steel balustrades have been fabricated for the taller exterior staircase and the balcony. The black coated steel makes a rich partnership with the deep tone of the parota wood that characterises the home inside and out.
A sheltered outdoor dining room stands completely open to the dense tropical habitat toward the rear of the build.
Elevated platforms provide a viewpoint to the horizon. Greenery overhangs the stony grey structures. In time, the aging home will gracefully allow itself to become more and more claimed by the nature that it has momentarily interrupted.
The mixed structure of concrete and steel achieves homogeneity with the artisan workmanship of stone walls and parota wood.
The parota wood seen on exterior overhangs continues into the interior volumes of the home, covering huge ceilings from edge to edge. The spotlights too are a feature that is implicated both inside and out to maintain flow and peaceful uniformity.
Glass walls open the home to green views all the way around.
At night the home lights like a great beacon.
Ground floor plan with thriving tropical vegetation across sloping terrain. A driveway is situated at the front entrance of the home, with a car parking area large enough for two to four vehicles. We can see here that the main living room area is equally split between the lounge arrangement and dining room setup, with a large kitchen installed across the back of the open plan.
First floor plan illustrating the master suite at one end of the long landing. The other end of the landing enters an upstairs lounge area, which in turn gives access to the remaining bedrooms and bathrooms.
Side elevation with large exterior staircase that leads to and from the private quarters on the first floor.
Side elevation.
Back elevation.
Front elevation.
