Aguilar House / Taller Segovia Molina

Architects:Taller Segovia Molina

Area:330m²

Year:2024

Photographs:ZAICKZ,Diego Vázquez Mellado

Manufacturers:Construlita,Epca,Helvex,Ilumileds

Lead Architect:Daniel Segovia Molina

Design Team:Daniela Sigales, Ernesto Perea

Structural Engineer:Andrés Casal

Landscape Architects:Matorral

City:Santiago de Querétaro

Country:Mexico

Text description provided by the architects. Casa Aguilar arises with the idea of creating an interior oasis where a family can experience introspection and contemplation while inhabiting their home. This intention is reflected in its architecture through a solid envelope that acts as a second skin, protecting against views of a densely planned area. Inside, natural light filters through patios on each of the three levels, creating a serene and intimate atmosphere.

From the outside, the house appears as a closed volume with high walls that seem to float above the ground. The open floor plan allows for the integration of a succession of wild gardens, aimed at attracting pollinating insects and endemic birds. With an almost hermetic structure, the home opens only to its internal landscapes, allowing its flora and fauna to be enjoyed and heard from within. This creates a peaceful, serene environment with total privacy for its inhabitants.

The organization of the house is based on open spaces, each with its own character. On the ground floor, these spaces guide the journey from the main entrance to the social area. The kitchen and dining room open to a backyard patio that floods the interior with light in double height. The texture of the walls balances with the warmth of the light-toned woodwork.

The pursuit of intimacy, as the central axis of the project, led to a spatial sequence that provokes visual and sensory changes when transitioning from a closed space to an open one, and vice versa. This duality is experienced throughout the three levels of the house, where each area begins with a small, dark space, only to reveal a wide and bright environment with views to the outside. Daily experiences are enriched by the integration of vegetation, wind, rain, and sky in these spaces, which frame each area of the house.

The private and semi-public areas include, in addition to the south-facing bedrooms, a studio and a ceramics workshop, both oriented to the north through large windows. The ceramics workshop, a completely open space, connects to a terrace that transitions from the domestic scale of the interior to a double height. On the top level, the studio, also linked to a smaller terrace, receives indirect light, creating a comfortable atmosphere.

The contemplative pursuit and sense of wonder culminate in the design of the rooftop, where the final garden is located. This space, immersed in the plant landscape, is intended for meditation and maintains a cozy and sheltering atmosphere, surrounded by plants and insects that inhabit it.

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