The CRA House designed by Mexican architecture studio Estudio MMX, is located within a residential country club near of Lake Avándaro, approximately 156 km southwest of Mexico City and west of Toluca.

It takes about 2 hours to drive from Mexico City to Valle de Bravo, making it a popular weekend getaway for the capital's affluent upper class.

The country club, like many others in Mexico, establishes general design criteria and suggests, with emphasis, the use of specific forms and materials.
The practice Estudio MMX designed the house looking for the best orientation and the best views towards the sports field. Instead of getting perpendicular to the access, the turn, allows articulating the closed and semi-enclosed spaces, in relationship to the open space (both the garden and the golf course).

The final result of the project is an interesting house that knows how to integrate harmoniously into the existing landscape, establishing an intelligent material dialogue with tradition and contemporary style.
 

Project description by Estudio MMX

The CRA House is located within a residential country club in Avándaro, Estado de México. The country club, like many others in Mexico, establishes general design criteria and suggests, with emphasis, the use of specific forms and materials.

Given the mountain character of the site, the regulation infers the need to preserve the rustic character of the place through architecture. In most cases, regulatory constraints are real challenges that are solved through analysis and design.

In this case, the design of the house proves a stylistic hybridization strategy, with the double purpose of giving continuity to the character of the whole, while at the same time articulating, in an alternative way, the different spaces and the program of the house.

Instead of getting perpendicular to the access, the whole house scroll turns to look for the best orientations and the best and widest views towards the sports field. When turning the limits and the perimeter walls of the house, they establish alternative relations towards the perimeter; Instead of an impassable fence, diagonal landscaped spaces are opened, which correct the conventional edge relationship between the land and the house. The same turn, allows articulating the closed and semi-enclosed spaces, always in relation to the open space (both the garden and the golf course)

On the upper floor, the rooms are arranged around a central space for distribution and collection of solar energy (heat) and, converted into observation platforms, have visual shots towards the different views of the forest. The four spaces contained under the roof and wooden structure, allow accommodating an entire family in each of the rooms, taking advantage of the generous heights, with mezzanines.

At all times the immediate, mediate and distant landscape was respected; In fact, the house is a homage to the existing landscape and touches the landscape found in the least invasive way possible.

The house sets a precedent and an alternative way of complying with regulations, protecting the architectural image of the complex and the natural environment, establishing an intelligent material dialogue with tradition and contemporary times. The construction system values local artisans, craftsmen and methods while creating spaces of international scope.

Through observation and thinking, constructions can be achieved that offer different spatial, structural and formal results, through the rational use of material and human resources "as usual", also achieving a comprehensive spatial, formal and energy performance.

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590 m²
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2020
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MMX was established in 2010 MMX Studio emerges as a collaborative team based in Mexico City focused on the design process at the various scales of the territory. Founded by Jorge Arvizu, Ignacio del Rio, Emmanuel Ramirez and Diego Ricalde.

The studio has been the recipient of various national and international awards such as the “Architectural League Prize” in New York, the “Design Vanguard” (Architectural Record), “The Cemex Award” for best national and international housing project 2013 and the Latinamerican Bienal presented in Pamplona, Spain. Their work has been presented in various renowned museums and galleries such as “Storefront for Art and Architecture” and the MOMA Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan New York as well as the MUDE Fashion Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.

Jorge Arvizu, is an architect and urban planner with honors from the IBERO and Master in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from the IBERO. He has worked in renowned architecture studios, among which TEN Arquitectos, Volvox Construcciones and the Alberto Kalach Architecture Workshop stand out, as well as a close collaboration with Architect Oscar Haggerman in the construction of shelters and schools in marginalized rural areas. Prior to Estudio MMX, Jorge worked independently consolidating his experience in the areas of architectural design, development, construction and administration. He was a professor of projects and construction at IBERO and has been invited by various institutions to offer lectures on topics related to this experience, as well as work and projects of MMX Study.

Ignacio del Rio is an architect with honors from the UNAM. He has worked in renowned architecture studio in Mexico, and Spain, among which Alberto Kalach's Workshop and Central Architecture in Mexico stand out, as well as DL + A and Molestina Architekten in Spain. Ignacio del Rio. He has a very solid experience in design and development of construction documents, as well as control of work teams. He has been invited by various national and international institutions to evaluate and offer lectures on topics related to this experience, as well as the work and projects of MMX Study.

Emmanuel Ramírez, is an architect with honors from the UNAM and Master in Urban Design from The University College of London (UCL). He has worked in various architecture studios including LBC and the Alberto Kalach Mexico Workshop, as well as SOM David Chipperfield Architects in England. He has developed his disciplinary interests in the fields of strategic urban design, master plans and architectural design. He was Professor at IBERO and at UTA Arlington and has been invited by multiple national and international institutions to judge, teach and give lectures on topics related to their interests, as well as work and MMX Study projects.

Diego Ricalde is an architect with honors from UNAM and Master in Architecture and Urbanism, with distinction, from the Architectural Association School of Architecture. He has worked in Mexico, Switzerland and Italy developing his disciplinary interests in different fields, including urban and strategic design, as well as architectural design and computational design. He has been invited by multiple national and international institutions to rate, teach and lecture on topics related to these interests as well as work and MMX Study projects.
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Published on: April 23, 2020
Cite: "Intelligent dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity. Casa CRA by Estudio MMX" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/intelligent-dialogue-between-tradition-and-contemporaneity-casa-cra-estudio-mmx> ISSN 1139-6415
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