In 2017, a couple approached Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) with a 98-by-65-foot site in the Mexico City neighborhood of Lomas de Chapultepec. The clients’ children had recently left home, and couple desired a residence that could flexibly expand to accommodate visiting family members—and contract into an intimate home when it was just the two of them.

The site proved to be challenging, as it’s fronted by a road, fringed by properties on the other three sides, and subject to strict building regulations—but Pablo Pérez Palacios and his team approached these restrictions as opportunities rather than setbacks.

PPAA divided the living plan into three distinct areas—public, private, and service—concentrated around a single-level living space as the core component. An L-shaped volume encloses the ensemble of public quarters (the living room, terrace, and garden), separating them from the remainder of the home in both position and materiality.

A layered, terra-cotta-hued concrete facade sets the tone outside, while a lofty structure of laminated pine (a rare construction technique in Mexico) forms a frame for the living and dining spaces at the heart of the home.

This private pavilion is demarcated by pillars buttressing a wood-battened canopy. “It’s much lighter, and more ephemeral compared to the massive concrete statement,” notes Palacios. “The barrier between the interior and exterior disappears.”

Not only does the L-shaped plan accommodate building regulations (a 19-foot buffer from the roadside, and a six-foot space from each neighboring boundary) to maximize the living space, but also creates a private sanctuary with its very own mood and ecosystem.

“We decided to use the regulations to give the house something extra—different atmospheres, and different spaces” explains Palacios. The home’s form defines the lush interior patio space while tucking it away from street noise and the sight lines of surrounding houses.

“Once you cross the European context of the street, you enter into this secret garden,” notes Palacios. “The protagonist becomes the landscape around the constructed house. That’s possible because of the good weather we have in Mexico, but also because we plan for it in advance. We believe that non-built exterior space is more important than—or at least has the same value—as interior space. So, we take care of nature.”

Less than a year after completion, PPAA’s plan is already paying off. The garden flourishes in shades of green that contrast with the dusky pink-brown concrete structure. Vines clamber up the walls, and at the center of the yard stands a single Ceiba tree, transplanted from its native Yucatán Peninsula as a reminder of the clients’ childhood.

The indoor/outdoor flow and centrality of the garden are the clients’ favorite aspects of their home. “What we love most is how the spaces integrate, and how the interior merges with the exterior,” they say. Natural light is another element that the clients prize—strategically placed skylights, openings, and windows balance privacy and proximity to the natural world.

The result is a home that embraces contrast—between the light and the heavy, the open and the enclosed, the vast and the contained—and it will no doubt continue to evolve is it settles into its neighborhood, its lush landscaping, and its varying family configurations. Both solid fortress and airy pavilion, the Monte Tauro house stands as a tribute to creativity in the face of practical limitations.

More from PPAA:

This Affordable, Millennial-Pink Home in Mexico Cost Just $18K to Build

A Matte-Black Home in Mexico City Opens Up to 360-Degree Forest Views

Pockets of Greenery Punctuate This Dramatic Black House in Mexico City

Project Credits:

Architecture: Alfonso de la Concha Rojas, Miguel Vargas, Christopher Torres, Jesús García, Jorge Quiroga, Camila Ureña, Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) / @perez_palacios_aa

Builder/General Contractor: TUCA

Facilities: TUCA

Landscape Design: Genfor Landscaping

Interior Design & Cabinetry: PUR

Photography: Rafael Gamo / @rafaelgamo, Luis Garvan / @luisgarvan

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A Secret Garden Grows at the Heart of a Concrete Home in Mexico City