Jimena García Álvarez-Buylla’s studio sits on the same plot as her mother’s home in Tlalpan, one of Mexico City’s southernmost boroughs. The path to the artist’s domain winds around the house and between tepozán trees, a vegetable garden, succulents, and fragrant sage. “I inherited my love of working with plants from my mother, as she did from hers,” says Jimena. “Our homes reflect that. My mother and I literally meet in the garden between us.”

When Jimena’s live/work space, designed by local firm Estudio MMX, finally appears, it does so potently: A tall, latticed, zigzagging screen made of syncopated, sand-colored bricks cuts diagonally across the back of the property, concealing a two-story, triangular structure.

The entrance to the 645-square-foot home/studio is around the corner at the far end, where a shaded outdoor vestibule awaits with yet more greenery. Contrasting with the intricate facade, compact simplicity reigns inside. The ground floor contains a cozy sitting area, a sleeping area, and a kitchenette. A bathroom housed in a small triangular extension features a shower with its own pointy patio.

Every day, Jimena exits her living space to climb a set of steps embedded in the earth and enter the double-height upper level. Since this is where she paints, the handling of light was paramount, as were constant glimpses of the garden. At the same time, the architects wanted to create an introverted, peaceful refuge. The solution was a system of fragmented walls—alternating solid sections with openings formed by tightening or loosening the woven brickwork—that makes the space feel at once open and shielded, artisanal and contemporary, rough-hewn yet sophisticated.

Thinking back to the project’s beginning, Jimena says it all started on WhatsApp. In 2021, she cold-messaged architect Emmanuel Ramírez, a founding partner of MMX who is known for his obsession with geometric rigor. “I was drawn to MMX’s use of materials and clean lines,” Jimena says.

“Geometry is the mother of all good things.”
—Emmanuel Ramírez, architect

Seeing her art, the architects realized that connection to nature was important. “When we met Jimena, we noticed her work often addresses the local landscape, both nearby volcanic rock fields as well as a riverine ecosystem that used to run through her family’s land,” explains Ramírez. “So we treated the project as an abstract piece placed in the garden, a backdrop for vegetation.”

“I love the ambience of the studio, the quiet light, how it breathes.”
—Jimena García Álvarez-Buylla, resident

Jimena’s motives for building in the garden behind the house where she grew up were deeply personal. For starters, Tlalpan is close to the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she will soon begin a PhD program in artistic research. “It makes sense that the space I inhabit is conceived as an evolving laboratory of fundamental life processes, which are the focus of my research,” explains the artist, who is certified as a death doula. “Accompanying natural cycle events, from births to life endings, is part of what I do.”

The other reason is family. “The objective of this project was always to stay close to my mom, whom I will care for one day, while creating my own space that sustains me,” she adds. “I am fascinated by the role design can play in intimate human relations. I think this project has already impacted our generational dynamic in ways we might not understand for years.”

Project Credits:

Architect of Record, Landscape Designer, and Cabinetry: Estudio MMX / @estudiommx

Interior and Landscape Designer: Jimena García Álvarez-Buylla

Builder and Cabinetry: CampoTaller

Structural and Civil Engineering: Grupo Sai

Lighting: ILWT

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