Architects: TACO Taller de Arquitectura Contextual
Year: 2015
Photographs: Leo Espinosa, Carlos Patrón
Manufacturers: Sherwin-Williams, CASTEL, Cemex, Comex, Helvex, MITZA
Project and Construction Team: Carlos Patrón Ibarra, Alejandro Patrón Sansor, Ana Patrón Ibarra, Estefanía Rivero Jansen.
Site Area: 300m2
City: Merida
Country: Mexico
Gabriela House, designed by TACO – Taller de Arquitectura Contextual in Mérida, Mexico, is a single-family home focused on security, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency. Set back from the street, it forms a small public square enhancing neighborhood safety. A water feature at the entrance controls mosquitoes and oxygenates the air. The layout includes a social area, a service zone, and a bedroom, each with semi-outdoor terraces extending to the back garden and rooftop courtyard. Designed for natural ventilation, it features double-height openings for hot air evacuation. Built with concrete blocks, beams, and slabs, it incorporates insulated ceilings and concrete lattices for protection. The landscape integrates endemic vegetation and edible plants, while color accents in thresholds and furniture reflect local craftsmanship and seasonal blooms.
Architecture today is often contaminated with commercial concerns, and sometimes we forget the fundamental purpose—creating shelters. These shelters must respond to specific climate conditions, cultural factors, and environmental needs.
Interview with Carlos Patrón Ibarra of TACO Taller de Arquitectura Contextual
Gabriela House is a single-family residence situated in a developing urban area of Mérida, Mexico. The project was designed to offer a serene yet practical retreat, incorporating security measures, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency while ensuring low construction and maintenance costs.
The house is set back from the street, and together with the walls of the adjoining properties, it forms a small square designed as a public space. This feature, inspired by traditional Yucatán architecture, activates the street and enhances neighborhood safety.
This pre-entry space is highlighted by a water feature composed of organic elements that naturally control mosquito populations and oxygenate an adjacent area designed for recreational use. This feature is visible from all social areas of the house, with a particularly strong connection to the entrance hall.
The architectural program includes a social area where the kitchen and dining room converge, an intermediate service zone housing the bathroom and laundry closet, and a bedroom. Both the social area and bedroom open onto rear semi-outdoor terraces, which function as extensions of the interior spaces. From the social terrace, access is provided to the back garden and an open rooftop courtyard.
The region’s climate enables multiple openings to be enclosed solely with mosquito nets, ensuring continuous natural ventilation. Moreover, double-height openings facilitate the evacuation of hot air, maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature without relying on artificial cooling systems.
The construction system follows the common regional method, utilizing concrete blocks, beams, and slabs, which are visible on the underside of the double-height ceilings. Low ceilings are thermally insulated with polystyrene panels, while vibro-compressed concrete lattices safeguard the interior from sun exposure, rain, vandalism, and hurricanes.
The architectural finishes are left exposed. The floors are made of concrete, as are the pre-cast plates used to assemble the fixed furniture. All walls and low ceilings are coated with waterproof cement-based stucco. The landscaping primarily consists of endemic vegetation, including iconic species from local culture that attract wild birds, along with fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs for human consumption.
Color is incorporated into the thresholds at the front and rear access points, as well as in functional furniture and home accessories. These selections were inspired by local craft traditions and chosen for their ability to complement the varying shades of blooms in the gardens.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
