Casa Estrella / Atelier16

Architects: Atelier16
Area: 175.93 m²
Photography: Santiago Heyser
Lead Architects: Lucía Ríos Santos, Martha Santos Cadena
City: Mérida, Yucatán
Country: Mexico

Casa Estrella is a residential renovation and expansion located in the Santiago neighborhood of Mérida that reinterprets a traditional Yucatecan house through a contemporary architectural lens. The project is grounded in a strategy of careful restoration, where the original stone masonry walls, proportions, and spatial sequences are preserved and revealed as active elements of the design. New interventions are intentionally restrained, allowing old and new constructions to coexist without hierarchy. Interior spaces are organized around a central garden and pool, establishing a strong relationship between architecture, landscape, and climate. Material choices emphasize local craft and durability, including exposed masonry, polished gray cement, artisanal cement tiles, cedar wood carpentry, and hand-carved stone elements. Circulation unfolds as a gradual transition from public to private areas, enhanced by light, shadow, and framed views of vegetation. The project demonstrates a balanced approach to adaptive reuse, where architectural continuity, sensory experience, and respect for historical context guide every design decision.

The project approaches renovation as an act of interpretation rather than replacement, positioning the existing house as a narrative framework that informs every architectural move. Instead of concealing age, Casa Estrella highlights the traces of time embedded in the original structure, allowing weathered stone walls and inherited proportions to define the spatial character. This attitude establishes an immediate dialogue between memory and contemporary living, grounding the home firmly within its urban and cultural context.

Upon entry, the first bay accommodates the living room and kitchen-dining area, unified by the removal of a non-original partition wall. This gesture restores spatial continuity while improving natural ventilation and light. Existing masonry walls remain exposed, complemented by discreet steel beams that reinforce the original roof without disrupting its visual integrity. The kitchen combines traditional references with modern restraint, featuring cedar wood cabinetry, artisanal cement tiles, and polished gray cement flooring. Visual continuity extends toward the pool, where preserved ruins and original wall finishes transform the space into an atmospheric enclosure evocative of a cenote open to the sky.

Beyond the pool, a generous central garden becomes the organizational heart of the house. Interwoven pathways connect the various areas, creating a choreographed sequence of movement shaped by shifting light and shadow. The contrast between mineral gray surfaces and dense vegetation reinforces the project’s sensory depth. The private quarters are located in a new construction at the rear, conceived as a calm counterpoint to the historic volume. A ground-floor primary bedroom opens to its own garden, while an exterior stair finished in mineral-tinted cement leads to a secondary bedroom with a private terrace overlooking the landscape.

Bathrooms continue the material dialogue, combining stone masonry walls, carved stone basins, and polished cement surfaces. Reclaimed wrought-iron doors from the original façade are repurposed as shower enclosures, extending the life of existing elements through inventive reuse. The street façade draws from the sobriety of Mérida’s colonial architecture, restoring original heights and proportions while subtly adapting openings to improve daylight. Throughout the project, a consistent palette and measured interventions allow Casa Estrella to integrate quietly into its surroundings, achieving an enduring architectural presence rooted in respect for history.