Architects: Espacio 18 Arquitectura
Area: 250 m²
Year: 2025
Lead Architects: Carla Osorio, Mario Avila
Category: Houses
Design Team: Noemie Coquil, Karina Flores
Technical Team: Jesus Piña
Structural Engineer / Civil Engineer: Grado 50
City: Puerto Escondido
Country: Mexico
Casa Tobi, a residential project designed by unidentified architects in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, has redefined the relationship between landscape and domestic space through a stepped, site-responsive layout that integrates architecture with nature. Developed on a steep coastal slope overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the design employs elemental strategies—reflecting pools, compressed and expansive spatial transitions, and tactile, earth-toned materials—to articulate a sensory journey that prioritizes context, adaptability, and communal living. Completed with layered views of the jungle, hills, and ocean, the house is structured across three main levels, including an entry terrace, a central social core, and secluded bedrooms below. Each intervention enhances thermal comfort and visual continuity while referencing vernacular forms and natural landmarks like Hierve el Agua. The project emphasizes a reflective, respectful approach to building in sensitive environments.
Casa Tobi is a residential project on the coast of Oaxaca, set on a steeply sloped site that descends westward, offering views of the sunset and the Pacific Ocean. The architecture reinterprets traditional regional elements through a playful approach, where spaces unfold fluidly with moments of spatial surprise and narrative intent.
The main entrance is situated on the upper level, where a terrace and reflecting pool greet visitors. This water feature reflects the surrounding jungle and the reddish tones of the sunset while cooling the social areas below. It also sets a contemplative tone, marking the beginning of a sensory sequence that connects architecture and nature.
As one descends from the terrace, the walkway narrows, evoking the protective transition into a cave. This culminates in a sudden spatial release—a double-height social area with large openings framing expansive views of the hills and the sea. This level includes the study, kitchen, dining area, living room, pool, and fire pit—spaces intended for shared use and adaptable to various needs. The building follows the site’s slope with a stepped configuration that maximizes views and integrates into the terrain.
The lowest level houses the bedrooms, where treetop views strengthen the interior’s connection to the outdoors. Earth-toned materials throughout the house recall the colors of the sunset and subtly allude to a crab shell, anchoring the structure visually within Puerto Escondido’s arid terrain. Water features placed throughout the project recall the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua.
The architects describe Casa Tobi as “a crustacean emerging from the rocks, eager to see the sunset.” More than a formal metaphor, the project embodies a family’s dream and an approach to construction rooted in affection and environmental respect. It serves as a model for architecture aligned with conscious tourism, where design, landscape, and domestic life merge.
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Project Location
Address: Puerto Escondido, Mexico
The location specified is intended for general reference and may denote a city or country, but it does not identify a precise address.
