As Mexico City–based restaurateur and filmmaker Sergio Goyri and his wife, cultural manager Sofía Maciel, began dreaming up plans for a getaway in Valle de Bravo, their wishlist was long. They wanted it to be easy to maintain, with an outdoor kitchen, plentiful daylight, and cozy interiors—yet one thing was nonnegotiable. “It was important that the house feel like it was in the middle of the forest,” says Sergio. “I repeated it twenty times—we wanted to feel like we were in the middle of the forest.”

“We love to be at the fireplace with a glass of wine or mezcal—it’s one of our favorite places,” says homeowner Sergio Goyri of the family’s getaway in the mountains outside of Mexico City. " layout="wide" credit="Photo by Sandra Pereznieto" photoUserId=""/>

Design duo Derek Dellekamp and Jachen Schleich delivered. They started planning this weekend home for the family of five after having designed the property next door. “We loved all the work they’d been doing, and thought it was the perfect architecture for the kind of house we wanted to build,” says Sergio.

Given complete design freedom, Dellekamp Arquitectos used the opportunity to present a rare form: a C-shape that optimizes views and natural light. “When we started to fit in all the requirements and tried the circular form, it reminded us of a hug,” says Dellekamp. “It is a powerful image for what we were trying to achieve.” The shape allows for unobstructed sight lines from the living room to the bedrooms, so that the couple can keep an eye on their three young children. It also fulfills another program request: space to play.

By day, the kids and dogs freely run around, and by night, the family gathers in the cozy living spaces—Sofía says that they love board games, and each evening they select one to play from their collection of about 40, and Sergio’s favorite spot is by the fireplace, where he enjoys curling up with some wine or mezcal. The home is a true space to recharge—amidst a forested backdrop, to boot—and its interiors are lined with a warm, neutral palette.

The ceilings are expansive, braced by wooden beams, and textured concrete walls make for a very raw, brutalist feel. The material selection across the three-bedroom retreat draws from nature—it’s modest and unassuming, and there are plentiful indoor/outdoor connections. In the kitchen—the heart of the home for the family of cooks—burners emerge from the volcanic stone island, and the heated terrazzo underfoot leads out to a wood-fired oven on the terrace, where the family bonds while making homemade pizzas.

They spend so much time outdoors that they installed a sundial at the epicenter of the property, alongside a magnolia they planted with the children—their favorite tree. The family grows squash and fruit on-site, and the kids love to search for worms and insects for their “cabinet of curiosities.”

“Many people said, ‘you’re crazy,’ because it’s a circular house,” says Sergio. “But in the end, we just love how easy it is to go from one place to the other, and how we communicate. Every room is integrated, and that’s what we were looking for in a weekend family house. We feel very cozy in the house, and very good staying here.”

Adds Dellekamp, “What I like most is how much they’re enjoying it. It’s very heartwarming for me. It’s the definition of success in my mind.”

At first, the architects and owners entertained using polished concrete—but they ultimately opted for a raw finish that adds warmth to the home. " layout="" credit="Photo by Sandra Pereznieto" photoUserId=""/>There are so many big trees and different plants—we instantly fell in love with the land,” says Sergio. "We didn’t know what kind of house it would be—we just loved the place, and the feeling of the trees.”" layout="bleed" credit="Photo by Sandra Pereznieto" photoUserId=""/>

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Derek Dellekamp, Jachen Schleich, Dellekamp Arquitectos / @dellekamp_arq

Landscape Design: Hugo Sánchez Paisaje / @hugosanchez.paisaje, Dealer de Plantas / @dealerdeplantas

Structural Design: Casas Guzik / @casasguzik

Facility Design: SIMEL

Contractors: RVMA

Carpentry: La Invencible / lainvencibleorg

Structural Carpentry: MICMAC / @micmac.mx

Lighting Design: Lightchitects