Casa La Posada

Casa La Posada design was defined by the architects spacial vision and the client's idea of how to use space, ideas that differed from the local image of a house. The client wanted open but intimate spaces and clean lines, but must of all no high walls around her lot separating her from the rest of the community. The house is located in a lot that was bought in the 90's in an area with dirt roads and almost no services, but with high expectations of becoming a well developed and attractive area. Its charm was determined by its closeness to La Posada beach where nowadays locals and visitors walk their dogs, excercise and relax in the peaceful waters of La Paz Bay. Its great location, just a 5 minutes drive to downtown made iteven more attractive. After 10 years of buying the property and 1 year before the construction of the house began, the area finally had paved roads, high end houses and a vibrant life. The project was designed in close consideration of the client's needs, she wanted to have a social area where the living, dining and kitchen were connected. But must of all she wanted an studio/master bedroom all in one that felt bigger than it was and that gave her an intimacy feeling and tranquility without being too complicated. The result became after the architects explore a range of possibilities that took them to define intimate areas, clean lines and flexible rooms open to the outside, inspiring social gatherings. Mexican architecture of the 1920's influenced the design: the massiveness of volumes and the use of dramatic colors, with a big remembrance of the colors used in the old "haciendas" of central Mexico, are displayed in the preponderant red wall that integrates the exterior with the interior and acts as the central arranging axe for the rest of the house. Meanwhile the arrangement of the volumes, frames and clean lines confer a contemporary feeling. Therefore the architectural style could be defined as "Modern mexican". The layout of the house is structured in 3 levels. The double-high ceilings in the living room and the long deep shadowed windows are the central elements in the first level, and were defined by the need to diminish the high summer temperatures that could rise to 45 Celsius degrees. The hall is connected to a small storage area where bycicles and beach gadgets could be left out of sight. The dining room, framed by the red massive wall, opens to one of the decks and connects to the kitchen through a polished stained concrete bar, with views to the garden and street. The double high studio in the second floor is the main attraction. It is connected to the master bedroom mezzanine by a marine stair. Yoga and pilates are some of the activities that the owner has in this area. A desk under the stair works as a home office with view to the living room through a small window. A full bathroom with an enclosed shower and a walking closet completes her personal space. A guest room is ready for her familiy and friends to visit. The third floor includes two terraces attached to the main stair, one of them opened to the master bedroom, with views to La Paz Bay and completed with a soon to be built a hot tub. This terraces are meant to be one big social area where cocktails and amazing views could be offered to guests. The tilted roof in the master bedroom opens to the sky and ocean through a window that allows having stunning views laying on the bed. The colors and the volumetric architecture of the house have become an urban icon in the area.