Lum Terra by Studio 360 Offers Climate-Adapted Design in Mérida

Lum Terra is a residential complex by Studio 360, featuring 10 villas each with 190 square meters (2,045 square feet) of living space, located in Cholul, north of Mérida, Mexico. Designed in 2024, the complex emphasizes adaptation to the region’s warm and humid climate, prioritizing proper orientation to ensure thermal comfort.

The 30-meter-wide by 71-meter-deep (98 by 233 feet) plot, with access from the north, dictated the design strategy. The project is organized around a central street that divides two rows of square-shaped lots. This approach allows for homes that close off to the south to protect from direct solar radiation while opening towards an interior patio oriented to the north, capturing the prevailing northeasterly winds and ensuring privacy between homes.

Unlike the traditional townhouse layout with narrow fronts and elongated depths, Lum Terra adopts a square configuration with 14-meter-wide (46 feet) fronts. This layout allows for the separation of homes through an interior patio and a covered garage that simultaneously becomes a terrace connected to a habitable rooftop, effectively doubling the usable square footage of the home.

On the ground floor, the design centers around an integrated social area, where the living room, dining room, and a spacious kitchen visually connect to the interior garden, creating a generous common space that occupies half of the plot. A bedroom with a full bathroom on this floor offers accessibility for people with reduced mobility. Additionally, a service storage area under the staircase, a guest bathroom, and a covered garage for two vehicles are included.

The first level houses two bedrooms with full bathrooms, including the master bedroom, which features a larger bathroom and a walk-in closet. Both bedrooms extend to private terraces, offering direct contact with the outdoors.

The rooftop transforms into a habitable space with potential for integrating a jacuzzi, along with a lightweight cover of solar panels, strategically oriented to maximize solar energy capture. The project’s material language is based on a water-repellent stucco finish, which provides a unified appearance and ensures the long-term durability of the complex.

Lum Terra not only represents a successful real estate exercise but also exemplifies how architectural design and sustainability can become significant differentiating factors in today’s market. By offering a design specifically adapted to the warm and humid climate, the project adds significant and distinctive value, standing out in a market where demand focuses on three-bedroom homes.