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Collection by Luke Hopping

Tropical Oases

We've rounded up a couple of cool places to escape this summer.

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To most eyes, Ezequiel Farca’s 1970s-style concrete home in Mexico City looked like a teardown. Even the lot itself—shallow and crammed against a steep hillside—wasn’t particularly alluring. But Farca saw through all the restraints to create a spa-like refuge in one of the world’s most energetic cities. "It’s is such a hectic place. You’re bombarded by so much information the moment you step into the streets," says Farca, who first gained prominence as a furniture and interior designer. "So we envisioned this house as a retreat, a kind of a temple." The rooftop courtyard is lined with a verdant mix of indigenous plants, including banana trees, palm trees, lion’s claw, Mexican breadfruit, and native vines. The chaise longues were designed for Farca’s EF Collection.
To most eyes, Ezequiel Farca’s 1970s-style concrete home in Mexico City looked like a teardown. Even the lot itself—shallow and crammed against a steep hillside—wasn’t particularly alluring. But Farca saw through all the restraints to create a spa-like refuge in one of the world’s most energetic cities. "It’s is such a hectic place. You’re bombarded by so much information the moment you step into the streets," says Farca, who first gained prominence as a furniture and interior designer. "So we envisioned this house as a retreat, a kind of a temple." The rooftop courtyard is lined with a verdant mix of indigenous plants, including banana trees, palm trees, lion’s claw, Mexican breadfruit, and native vines. The chaise longues were designed for Farca’s EF Collection.
Thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass, the home feels like it's part of the landscape.
Thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass, the home feels like it's part of the landscape.
White stained, salt treated blocks of concrete were installed in a symmetrical pattern throughout the backyard area instead of a deck.
White stained, salt treated blocks of concrete were installed in a symmetrical pattern throughout the backyard area instead of a deck.
Finished in 2013, the 3,660-square-foot Casa Incubo was built from stacking and sliding four shipping containers to create a residence and gallery for photographer Sergio Pucci (who took all the photos of his new home). Set on flat ground, the two-story structure ended up being much easier for architect Maria Jose Trejos to complete than a typically constructed home, saving roughly 20 percent of the cost of a standard concrete block design.
Finished in 2013, the 3,660-square-foot Casa Incubo was built from stacking and sliding four shipping containers to create a residence and gallery for photographer Sergio Pucci (who took all the photos of his new home). Set on flat ground, the two-story structure ended up being much easier for architect Maria Jose Trejos to complete than a typically constructed home, saving roughly 20 percent of the cost of a standard concrete block design.
“Every space of the house has a close relationship with the exterior, which creates the sensation of living outdoors with all the comfort and advantages of living indoors,” says architect Atahualpa Hernandez Salazar.
“Every space of the house has a close relationship with the exterior, which creates the sensation of living outdoors with all the comfort and advantages of living indoors,” says architect Atahualpa Hernandez Salazar.
When he's not poring over the blueprints for residential and commercial projects, architect Felippe Crescenti works in the theater and on film sets—and he brings his savoir-faire to this cozy two-bedroom apartment. The apartment's open-plan living area—and its picture windows facing a patch of tropical foliage—makes the space feel larger than it is. An Arco lamp complements a sofa by Micasa.
When he's not poring over the blueprints for residential and commercial projects, architect Felippe Crescenti works in the theater and on film sets—and he brings his savoir-faire to this cozy two-bedroom apartment. The apartment's open-plan living area—and its picture windows facing a patch of tropical foliage—makes the space feel larger than it is. An Arco lamp complements a sofa by Micasa.