In a quiet area near the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, the renowned firm Elías Rizo Arquitectos built the remarkable Casa VR villa in 2013. Forum City tends to regard it as a model of clarity and functionality.
The layout of the house is designed in the form of four parallelepipeds arranged on mutually perpendicular axes of symmetry. The rooms in the interior are distributed in accordance with the requirements of privacy. The overall design idea is to be at one with nature and aesthetically support the surrounding wild landscape.
The main façade gives an impression of being closed due to the low number of windows, but on the opposite side there are sliding glass walls instead of blank walls, behind which a well-kept flat lawn stretches into the distance.
A wide vestibule at the entrance divides the building into a public area and a private suite. Careful selection of materials – the natural stone for the first floor was brought from the local surroundings.
The north wing, with its operable terrace, is covered in wood, as is the steel canopy outside. The dominant grey tone of the exterior is intended to avoid any color conflict with the picturesque landscape.
What specific aspects of the rugged design were incorporated into the country house project, emphasizing its role as an outpost of civilization amidst the vast prairie?