When we think of spaces that foster meditation, our minds often travel either to Japan's Zen gardens, where clean lines and carefully arranged landscaping call for stillness, or to Scandinavia's designs with neutral tones and soft fabrics. These styles evoke a sense of calm through simplicity, often seen as a characteristic of Japanese and Northern European architectural styles. Yet, stillness and meditation are not restricted to these types of settings. Latin American architectural traditions also offer powerful, though often overlooked, approaches to meditative spaces. With earthy tones of terracotta, rough adobe textures, intimate courtyards, and a strong connection to nature, these environments call for reflection through warmth and material richness, creating spaces that are calming without being understated.
In this curated collection, we will explore residential architecture in Latin America that evokes a sense of meditation through elements such as wooden doors that open to sunny courtyards, lush gardens with leaves that filter the sun's rays, hammocks illuminated by the afternoon sun, and walls in warm colors that create an inviting atmosphere. The use of local, organic materials such as stone, clay, and wood, ties the spaces to their environment, creating a tangible connection to the earth.
Read on to discover some examples of how residential architecture in Latin America creates spaces for meditation connected to nature.
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The house, located in Barichara, Colombia, stands out for integrating traditional building materials such as stone, adobe blocks, and traditional terracotta floors, to build a modern space from scratch. For its construction, the architects used materials found on the site, such as stone and clay. Its wooden doors open to a covered corridor with hammocks overlooking the mountainous landscape, offering a good example of how to create a mountain retreat that celebrates and respects the building traditions of the region while achieving a warm and vibrant space that calls for stillness and reflection.
House in Ruins / messina | rivas
The project is located in the city of Itupeva, Brazil, 80 km away from São Paulo, in a "Finca" from the XIX century. The clients asked the architects to transform the ruined house on-site into two separate units. During the initial surveys, the architects noticed an old rubber tree with exposed roots located right in front of the site. This prompted them to create the courtyard with the tree marking its main axis. This central space not only articulates the two houses in the program but also creates a void that calls for meditation, using the contrast of the heavy, dark existing stone and the lightness of the new white walls and timber roof.
Jacarandas House / C3 Arquitectos
Just like gardens with winding paths leading to traditional Japanese tea houses, the Jacarandas House in Zapopan, Mexico, is gradually discovered by taking a walk between several patios. The entrance of the house named by the architects the "Jacaranda Road" is defined by a tree known as Jacaranda mimosifolia, which covers the entryway in green or purple, depending on the season. This provides shade, allowing enough sunlight to filter through the leaves, creating a contemplative space for users to sit quietly and ponder. At the same time, the house does not have a typical main entrance, instead, it uses sliding windows that open from the patios to the interior spaces, surrounded by stone walls. In this way, the architects emphasize the connection between the interior and exterior, taking cues from Japanese garden pavilions, while also grounding the space in local traditions through the use of stone.
Casa Attico / Atelier Matteo Arnone
Located on the coast of São Miguel do Gostoso in Brazil, the project sits on high ground, a topography that exposes it to strong winds. To capture the potential for natural ventilation and channel it into the interior, the architects designed a round courtyard that guides the airflow, breaking its strength while allowing it to circulate through every space of the house. The central tower is elevated above the dunes, becoming a landmark in the area, while its textured cladding serves a similar purpose of redistributing dominant winds. These two elements create a central space where the whiteness of the entrance is broken by the presence of the tower. The result is a view that invites mindfulness by focusing the user on a single central built element, while also prompting contemplation on the interplay between architecture and the natural elements.
Casa Ederlezi / Práctica Arquitectura
This house, located in San Pedro Garza García, México, has a terrace that offers 360-degree views of the surrounding mountain ranges. In contrast, the interior offers a more intimate atmosphere. The architects incorporated earthy red tones throughout the patios, creating a sense of robustness that invites stillness. A single tree serves as a central focal point that dominates the courtyard. The space also includes benches that open up the usability of the space. The solid color of the walls enhances the shadows under the bright Mexican sun. Combined with local landscaping featuring cacti and stones, the space provides a calm yet vibrant environment that invites the user to enjoy intimate, disconnected moments throughout the day.
This article is part of an ArchDaily curated series that focuses on built projects from our database grouped under specific themes related to cities, typologies, materials, or programs. Every month, we will highlight a collection of structures that find a common thread between previously uncommon contexts, unpacking the depths of influence on our built environments. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should mention specific ideas, please submit your suggestions.
