Wawi

On the desk in the master bedroom, two Philippe Starck fly swatters sit aside a Tolomeo lamp from Artemide.

The house has what some architects would call an upside-down plan, with living spaces upstairs and bedrooms below. The upper story is strikingly transparent; the lower is camouflaged by thick, foliage-covered walls, which keep the sleeping areas cool.

Now home to a hillside resort town, the lake of Valle de Bravo was formed in 1946, in one of president Miguel Alemán’s hydroelectric dam projects. Casa Ia was named for the architect’s first child and planned with lake views as a primary objective.

The pool and outdoor hot tub bounce green light off the roof hanging over the back terrace, creating a lush environment.

The disjunction between each pavilion is most visible from a rear view, which reveals the variety of materials used, from glass to wood to brick.

Oversized knobs add a whimsical touch to the kitchen, where a pendant designed by Johanna Grawunder—who worked with Sottsass in Milan—hangs over the circular island. White Viking appliances are integrated with the cabinetry.

A glass atrium holds together four of the six pavilions that make up the home. Sottsass considered hallways to be unimaginative, preferring to create a flexible village of connected spaces.

Southwest corner showing relationship between wrap around deck and interior

“The outlook from the kitchen and main house entry is directly into the two northern facing courtyards,” O’Neill said. A refrigerator by Fisher & Paykel stands in the kitchen next to a QASAIR Heritage range hood.

The main entrance sits on the second floor, accessible by a back staircase that Nakasi says is meant to “raise expectations” as guests ascend. It opens onto the living room and kitchen.

Nick’s father, Glenn Murcutt, insists on banks of sliding windows, louvers, and fly screens to allow for both natural ventilation and wintertime heat retention. Here Neeson and Murcutt opted for something simpler: large custom-made windows by Windoor that push out from below. Operated by a simple hydraulic system, these windows have spotted-gum slats, which allow for privacy. To keep out mosquitoes, the architects used a thin metallic screen from Phoenix Fly Screens to sit flush against the window. Held in place by magnets, it’s easily pulled away for storage in the wintertime.

Coastal, on a hill, and made from inexpensive materials, the Ferguson house is a catalog of moving surfaces and open rooms.

Hernandez and Surratt relax in the living room, which is enlivened by the house’s internal topography. A short flight of steps divides the interconnected areas and offers a place to sit. Above is a loft that can be converted to a bedroom.

The family room contains furniture reminiscent of Ligne Roset’s Togo collection and a CH 07 egg-carton lamp by Salvadoran designer Eugenio Menjívar.

In the living area, a 2010 Vertigo lamp by Constance Guisset hangs above a 1974 Gijs Bakker Strip table; the residents believe the floor lamp in the foreground is Murano glass. Dark panels of metal, left behind by the previous homeowners, were stored outside until a rich patina developed. Now they hide a library.

Just off an internal courtyard, a mudroom provides a prime place to keep sneakers. Each family member has their own shelf, backlit by windows that illuminate every pair.