Photography by Dane Alonso.
Making the intangible tangible through awareness of sunlight while using the principles of ocular-centrism to create a comfortable vagueness is
Located in the outskirts of Morelia, Michoacán,
Past the concealed entrance reveals a grand
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Photography by Mariano Renteria.
Photography by Mariano Renteria.
Initially a site with very minimal vegetation, Bucio Sistos introduced microclimates, organising sightlines to have a form of connection to the surrounds. The grand foyer’s central point is marked by a singular tree gently crowned by an open framed skylight, while circular windows punctured on either side offer an implied expansion of the space.
Towards the end of the house, just before the garden, is a terrace with exposed framework, and custom concrete casted joinery is fitted with a pocket to allow plants to grow. Stretching to the end of the garden is a bespoke water feature for tickling water to reinforce a peaceful reverie.
Drawing colours from the landscape, the interior is washed in swatches of terracotta’s relationship with light. External walls are characterised by textured and patterned protruding brickwork resembling unevenly stacked books. Exposed yet roughly polished concrete untreated for the ceiling and pigmented in dusty peach line the interior walls.
Photography by Mariano Renteria.
Photography by Dane Alonso.
Photography by Mariano Renteria.
Photography by Dane Alonso.
Photography by Dane Alonso.
With the ceiling lifted enough to allow high-light windows to wrap around each area, and some glazing and skylights fitted with vertical framing – the sense of density and heaviness dissipates from the soft ribbons of light. Circular motifs ripples from the axis – it’s found in the semi-enclosed circle in the doorways gracefully held by the bookshelf; round windows punctured on the external walls of the entrance; circular joinery handles – a constant signal that to inform us of a new destination within.
The layered complexity found in the companionship between materiality and light allows UC House to transport visitors into a realm of summer dreams. Rooms with entrances are aligned slightly off from each other to ignite curiosity and encourage the walk from one room to another. Meanwhile, the natural light serves as a tangible wayfinding mechanism, and materiality is arched and bent as if to signpost another environment within – like a joyful carousel spun from sundial light.
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