At this home just a few hours outside Mexico City, the bathroom is built around a boulder. Trees grow through floors, and in the living room, striking views of rock walls makes it feel as though you’ve set out on a hike. In some ways, you have.

Just getting to Las Rocas—a vegetation-rich, cliffside retreat that sits in the northern part of La Peña in Valle de Bravo, Mexico—requires some disconnecting from urban life. The compound consists of four separate weekend homes, and a small, cobblestone street leads to a central square, where homeowners leave their cars behind and trek along trails to get home.

“We were aiming to treat this as a super respectful place because of the natural environment we were touching,” says Mexico City–based architect Ignacio Urquiza, who teamed up with his wife, interior designer Ana Paula de Alba, for the design of all four homes. They are a young couple with shared ideals about design who had been walking the area since they were kids. It is a special place to them, and they were adamant about preserving it. “You have to understand how to impact the context and give something back,” Urquiza says.

What they gave back were four stunning properties, each comprised of the same modules and components, but with different designs that respond specifically to their siting, adapting to the precise conditions of the terrain. “It’s the same house but super site- and family-specific at the same time,” explains Urquiza.

Each house exudes its own personality—that of its owner. Casa D at the top of the hill is defined by stone furniture, including benches with raw edges. It’s a perfect complement to its owner, a man with grown children who spends every weekend at the property and loves to cook. At the bottom of the hill in Casa D, you’ll find more delicate light fixtures and softer elements. And then there is Casa B.

This home has a bit more vibrance and character—and for good reason. Santiago Ortiz Monasterio, an investment banker, and Federica de la Mora, a fashion designer, have two young boys —and they share the home with another couple with three boys of their own, rotating weekends at the property. “It’s a little more playful, and a little more colorful because of the youthfulness of the project,” says de Alba. “That calls for a different energy.”

When it came to design, the two families handed off the decisions to the pros. “We chose Ana Paula, because we already worked with her, loved her style, and she works with nature perfectly and knows the spaces,” says Federica. “It was important for [co-owner] Maria and I not to get involved and let Ana Paula decide everything.” With that, the design duo had their dream clients. “It was nice really being trusted by the clients, says de Alba. “They let us do whatever we wanted.”

That level of trust is crucial on a site like this, with nearly 70,000 square feet of jagged terrain that called for technical construction decisions to be made. Fortunately, the homeowners were just as conscientious as the design team when it came to respecting the land. “These are trees that have been around a while, and it’s a pretty special habitat,” says Santiago. “We tried to preserve as much as we could.”

The design team sought to select honest colors and materials that echo the tones of the landscape. “They use nature as a complement to the house; they don’t overwhelm nature,” says Federica.

Adds Urquiza, “You need to really respect the environment so you can feel it in a very truthful way.”

Related Reading:

This Refined Getaway Started as a Rustic A-Frame With No Running Water

In Mérida, a Blocky ’80s Home Turns Over a New Leaf

This Inspiring Retreat in Valle de Bravo Is Indoor/Outdoor Goals

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Ignacio Urquiza Arquitectos / @ignaciourquiza.mx

Interior Design: Ana Paula de Alba / @apda.mx

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