Liquen House

Aug 25

Written by Omar Dahabra

Location: Chacala, Mexico
Year: 2022
Architects: Fino Lozano + Pragma Estudio
Photography by: Rafael Palacios Macías

Casa Líquen, a project designed and built by Taller Fino Lozano and Pragma Estudio, stands as a symbol of integration between architecture and nature just a few meters from the beach in the paradisiacal region of Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico.

Executed on four levels, this residence is much more than a structure; it is a proposal that evolved from a rest house to a small boutique hotel. This transition implied engineering changes and challenged us as builders. It was also a foreign project for us that involved relocations and challenges we were not accustomed to.

For its construction, a customized hollow block was made to make its 7 rooms more thermal. Appropriate materials were selected to resist the salinity of the environment. Each room was equipped with a bathroom and a bar-kitchenette for the user's comfort.

The recessing of the rooms and terraces was used as a tool to maintain scale and improve the urban image of the growing tourist destination.

The carefully laid clay floors are integrated into the color palette and add a touch of identity and warmth to each space of the house. Walking through its rooms, one cannot help but feel the connection with the earth itself, thanks to the texture and naturalness of this traditional material.

The wall cladding that covers the walls of Casa Líquen is another element that deserves to be highlighted. They are a paste with pigment that brings softness to the arches and the imperfect texture to make the building more timeless, that ages beautifully. In this way the walls contrast with the vibrant blue of the Chacala sky that is glimpsed through the wide doors and shutters worked with Rosa Morada wood.

The pool was covered with the same material as the walls, enhancing the monolithic sensation of the complex. Thanks to the water that acts as a filter and mirror, the Terrace area is painted with reflections and a touch of turquoise.

Another protagonist element are the handcrafted Palo Maria wooden pergolas that cast their shadows on the wall and filter the light in the pool area, on the terraces of the rooms and finally on the terrace viewpoint. The latter rewards you upon arrival with an outdoor shower and allows you to enjoy a nice view of the sea and the hill or a nice meeting to see the sky.

Casa Líquen is much more than a residence, it is for us the result of putting love to each space, thank you for the opportunity. Text description by the architects.

Source: www.archdaily.com / @archdaily + www.pragmaestudio.com
Area: 9688 ft²

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