Casa Meztitla by EDAA, nature and building in symbiosis

In Nahuatl - the language of the Aztecs - Meztitla means “near the moon”. A stark natural environment that really connects with the building designed by Mexican firm EDAA.



Mexican firm Estrategias para el Desarrollo de Arquitectura (EDAA) has designed Casa Meztitla near the town of Tepoztlán, about 90 km south of Mexico City in the province of Morelos. Not surprisingly they call this architecture an intervention of a natural scenario, a “creation of pure space within the natural space”, to quote Octavio Paz. 





It’s easy to see why in this retreat for a professional couple, designed as an outpouring of love for the landscape where its delicate harmony is underscored by the materials in synch with the backdrop. The stone house is divided into four areas - the social spaces (kitchen and living areas and portico), the utility spaces, the bedrooms and the study. 





Each area opens onto an outdoor patio so the connections - that blur the lines between indoors and outdoors - are both visual, with the house turning inwards, and physical, through the pivoting glass doors.





Casa Meztitla by EDAA looks as if it is wants to simply melt into the rocky El Tepozteco mountain and also seeks symbiosis with that by prioritising sustainable design. First of all by selecting easy-maintenance local materials that will age with dignity in the subtropical climate. Also by managing rainwater with two reservoirs and a swimming pool. Here, the copious rain that falls during the short wet season (July to September) is harvested and filtered for use as potable water; excess water and treated grey water flow into a 120 m³ reservoir for use in the garden and toilets.



With Casa Meztitla, the EDAA architects have created a real symbiosis between architecture and nature, which is much more than visual dialogue and showcases the interaction of the inhabitants with the location.

Christiane Bürklein

Architecture: EDAA, www.edaa.mx, Facebook: EDAA MX
Architect (partner) in charge: Luis Arturo García
Design team: Juan Hernández, Jahir Villanueva, Antonio Rivas, Ana Fernanda Rodríguez, Diego Ruiz Velazco
Construction team: Hans Álvarez, Yolibel Allende
Year: 2014
Location: Tepoztlán, México
Photography: Yoshihiro Koitani, KUU Studio