Zamel House
ZAMEL HOUSE
Kontrast Arquitectura
ARCHITECTS
Kontrast Arquitectura
PHOTOGRAPHS
Fabian Lasala Guevara
AREA
193.75 m2
YEAR
2008
LOCATION
Mexico
CATEGORY
Houses
Text description provided by architect.
This home was designed for a couple from Los Angeles who love the beach and natural beauty of Huatulco.
He lives to surf and she has a passion for architecture. The house boasts a superior location on the beach directly in front of a surf break, with a spectacular view of the beach, rocks, and nearby river mouth.
The home’s open spaces create the frame for the magnificent setting and allow the ocean breezes to keep it cool during the tropical days in Huatulco.
The challenge was to design a house that allowed views of the ocean from all the main spaces on a site only 12 meters wide.
The first decision was to raise the house above the level of the beach to create privacy and safety from the ocean, but still have easy access to the beach.
This was accomplished by a stair way on the side of pool.
The house is built on a flag lot, thus the main entrance leads you down the driveway to a oversized, hand tooled solid wood door, that opens effortlessly on its pivot hinge into a new world of long wide stairs flanked by lush tropical plants leading to a reflecting pond complete with water fall and planked bridge for your final approach into the house.
This passage brings you to a place that shakes your senses and promotes you connection with nature. You are captured by a desire to relax and enjoy.
You have arrived in the “great room”, the full width of the home, open entirely to the infinity pool overflowing “into” the ocean, complete with a chief’s kitchen and dining alfresco in the pool side pergola, you’ll want to never leave.
The grassy palm tree path leads to the sun deck on the edge of the property over hanging the beach.
There is also a full bath, with polished cement counter tops, glass tile and a large shower.
The first floor is completed by a den/guest bedroom. The stairs rise to an open-air balcony which leads to the 2nd guest bedroom suite and the master bedroom suite.
The master has ceiling to floor glass across the entire front for the house. The large master bath boasts an outdoor shower for two and a vanity made from drift wood collected on the beach. The suite is completed by a walk in closet and ocean view office.
