Casa En Palmilla / ESTUDIO Ignacio Urquiza Ana Paula De Alba

Architects: ESTUDIO Ignacio Urquiza Ana Paula de Alba
Area: 600 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: Ignacio Urquiza Luna Parra
Lead Architects: Ignacio Urquiza Seoane
Design Team: Michela Lostia di Santa Sofía, Aida Hurtado, Salvador Hurtado, Ana Laura Ochoa
Furniture & Decoration: Alejandra Usobiaga
Furniture & Decoration Team: Vanessa Lira, Daniela Sofía Nuñez
Art Consultants: Galería KAYA, Mariel Prieto, Alejandra Usobiaga
Contractor: Emiliano Zedillo
Lighting Design: ILWT Miguel Ángel Vega
Location: Los Cabos
Country: Mexico

Casa en Palmilla is a 600-square-meter residence in the hills of Los Cabos, Mexico, organized as four independent volumes beneath two L-shaped roofs. Designed by ESTUDIO Ignacio Urquiza Ana Paula de Alba, the house responds to the regional climate through broad 2.1-meter perimeter overhangs, shaded walls and glazing, cross-ventilation, and an arrangement informed by orientation. The non-orthogonal positioning of the volumes creates a trapezoidal gravel courtyard at the center of the composition, where different degrees of enclosure establish relationships between the guest rooms, main suite, social spaces, and western mountain views. The program is divided between service areas, three guest bedrooms, the main suite with two walk-in closets and a study, and an open social volume containing the living room, dining area, and kitchen. Two 12-meter-long glazed openings connect the shared spaces to the central courtyard, principal terrace, swimming pool, and distant sea horizon. Sand-colored textured concrete gives the residence a largely monochromatic character, softened by timber carpentry and a laminated oak roof structure. Furnishings, decorative elements, textiles, and artwork were integrated with the architecture and the surrounding established landscape.

Casa en palmilla / estudio ignacio urquiza ana paula de alba

Casa en Palmilla develops its spatial character through the separation of its program into distinct volumes, allowing the house to adapt to different patterns of occupation. Rather than concentrating all functions within a continuous enclosure, the design organizes service areas, guest accommodation, the main suite, and communal spaces into four blocks distributed beneath two principal roof structures. This arrangement establishes varying degrees of independence between the different parts of the residence while maintaining a unified architectural language.

The two lightweight L-shaped roofs, resolved in wood and clay, provide the primary order for the composition. Extending 2.1 meters around the perimeter of the built elements, their overhangs cast deep shadows across walls and glazing. The resulting shaded edges respond to the climate of Los Cabos while creating sheltered transitions around the enclosed volumes.

At the center of the house, the non-orthogonal geometry of the four blocks forms a trapezoidal gravel courtyard. Each of its edges is treated differently. The shortest remains unbuilt and opens toward the mountains to the west, while another provides access to the secondary bedrooms. Along the side adjoining the main suite, a sequence of 20-by-20-centimeter apertures protects privacy while allowing soft daylight to enter the interior. The remaining edge is defined by the large glazed opening of the social area, the only interior space that connects directly with the central courtyard. This relationship makes the garden an active part of the house’s spatial organization rather than an isolated exterior space.

The first volume contains the service program, including parking, storage rooms, mechanical areas, service quarters, and laundry. A second block beneath the same roof accommodates a vanity area and three identical guest bedrooms. Within this portion of the house, a freestanding timber element remains detached from the roof plane and defines the guest bathroom and dressing area while preserving continuity within the room. Beneath the second L-shaped roof, the third volume contains the main suite, two independent walk-in closets, and a study. Depending on how the residence is occupied, the study can operate as a family room or as a private extension of the suite.

The fourth volume brings together the living room, dining area, and open kitchen. Two 12-meter-long glazed openings extend along its longitudinal façades, linking the central courtyard on one side with the principal terrace, swimming pool, and sea horizon on the other. When opened, the social area takes on the character of a covered terrace between these two exterior conditions. Dividing the residence into two principal wings also allows its capacity to change according to use. The house can function primarily around the main suite and communal areas, while the second wing can be brought into use when additional accommodation is required. The position of each volume also responds to orientation and the intention to encourage cross-ventilation.

A restrained material palette reinforces the unity of the separate elements. Sand-colored textured concrete gives the house a monochromatic, monolithic appearance, while timber carpentry and the laminated oak roof introduce warmer tones and contrasting textures. The relationship between materials and projected shade also contributes to keeping exposed surfaces cooler. Furniture and decoration by Alejandra Usobiaga were integrated with the architectural palette through coordinated textures, colors, textiles, and materials. Together with the established local vegetation surrounding the property, these elements extend the project’s material continuity from the architecture into the experience of inhabiting the house.