Casa Hilca by Di Frenna Arquitectos
Casa Hilca is a two-story concrete house located in Villa de Alvarez, Colima, Mexico, designed in 2018 by Di Frenna Arquitectos.
Description
Its main façade stands out for its play of volumes composed of two elements with a strong presence, a vertical element of stone from the volcanoes of Colima and a horizontal element made up of reinforced concrete walls and steel beams. Breaking the continuity of this, a thin wooden lattice is used as a solar protection screen, and this itself creates a play of light and shadows to the interior.
Open spaces are found in the interior that is defined by the changing heights of the slabs and creates a very social yet familiar atmosphere.
The main centerpiece of Casa Hilca is the huge Parota tree in the backyard, contrasting with the use of exposed concrete. The tree constantly changes the ambiance inside the house with its lights and shadows, while each season of the year looks completely different.
The materials chosen for Casa Hilca were on the one hand very cold materials (exposed concrete, steel beams, gray, white, and black colors) contrasting with very warm materials (wood, exposed brick, natural stone), achieving a balance.
Colima is a very warm state, so we chose to play with great heights, cool materials such as concrete and stone, avoiding windows facing west and at the same time protecting them with lattices.
Photography by Oscar Hernández
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- by Matt Watts
