Las Rocas is a 6,400-metre-squared complex of houses in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, designed by Ignacio Urquiza Architecture. It features modular designs reflecting site-specific conditions and endemic vegetation. The homes, tied together by common facilities, feature central service areas for cars and bathrooms made of natural stone.
The Las Rocas complex, designed by Mexico City-based Ignacio Urquiza Architecture, is located in the northern part of Valle de Bravo. This elevated area, known as La Peña, is characterized by outcrops and endemic vegetation.
The 6,400-square-metre site was approached as an extension of the adjacent natural reserve, with the project aiming to respect and regenerate the environment. A detailed site analysis was conducted to position each house with minimal impact on the existing runoffs, rocks, and vegetation.
A narrow cobbled road leads to the central service area, containing a car park, storerooms, and key installations such as cisterns, machine rooms, and treatment plants. “Users are required to leave their vehicles here and walk to the houses via paths, steps, and small plazas, immediately freeing them from the urban surroundings,” the architects explained.
The design evolved from studying the program, creating a dynamic system for different configurations to optimize compositions for each location. As a result, the four houses use the same modules and components with unique layouts adapted to their respective characteristics. The volumes are arranged in six directions—front, rear, above, below, left, right—in response to their specific situations.
This system blends the architecture into its natural context, with the volumes being separated to create voids, views, natural light, and ventilation. “A bathroom can be a stone, a tree a part of the roof, and the terrain itself a walkway or set of steps: nature defines the design,” the firm said.
The modules were designed separately in the studio and then mapped out on site to define their ideal location. Furnishings were added, with doors and windows arranged before connecting them to a corridor. This linear axis serves as horizontal and vertical circulation, adapting the architecture to the site.
“The enclosure of the sleeping area contrasts with the open circulation routes that relate directly to the local vegetation and rocky landscape,” the designers said. The corridor captures sunlight and local heat, regulating the houses’ temperature due to the shadows from outcrops and north-facing orientation.
The living and dining rooms feature a corner window with a 5 x 10 metre cantilever, opening up the space and connecting the interior to the exterior. This design avoids duplicating areas often seen in rural retreats in Valle de Bravo.
The kitchen is located in the same space as the dining room and living room, with a sliding partition in some cases. The terraces were positioned to adapt their dimensions to the context, blurring the boundary between construction and surroundings.
The light-gray stucco finish matches the rocks, complemented by textured stone flooring and glass, which is flush with the exterior façades. This color scheme allows for a discreet and simple architecture, emphasizing vegetation and nature.
The composition of solid volumes creates a sense of lightness, making the houses a “quiet built space to bring the context to the fore.”
Ana Paula de Alba’s custom interior designs for each house respond to the families’ specific needs, giving every space a unique character. “Each home has its own essence, the result of the synergy between user, architecture, and context,” the designers concluded.
