Architects: SPACE Location: Pedregal, Mexico City, Mexico Chief Designer: Juan Carlos Baumgartner, Jimena Fernández Navarra Design Team: Sergio Gaytán, Ana Mallón Project Year: 2011 Photographs: Pim Schalkwijk
Project Area: 800 sqm Lighting Design: LUA
The work consisted of a complete overhaul of a classic house in Pedregal dating from the 50s which, due to its age, was in very poor condition. The original design was in Classic style.
The main decision as regards the design was to respect the house insofar as this was possible, but also to update it to the modern age, creating better and larger interior areas while taking advantage also of the extensive outdoor spaces.
Access was aligned with respect to a regulating north-south axis, from which a ramp leads to the mezzanine of the house, reaching a terrace/vestibule with black stone slabs overlooking the swimming pool area. The main entrance leads the inhabitants through a large wooden doorway to an extensive, living room/dining room area, terminating in a large sandstoned marble wall which houses a large lineal fireplace.
The heart of the design is the house’s main corridor, which begins at the entrance and ends at a completely new inside patio and a marvelous sculpture, highlighted by means of changes in the colors of marbles and woods on floors and walls and bringing natural light to this entire floor, previously very dark. Distributed along this corridor are three bedrooms, a study, the living room and, on the other side, a wonderful kitchen.
Crossing the corridor we find the staircase, leading upwards to the upper floor and downwards to the main floor and swimming pool area.
The master suite is a completely new space within the house, and consists of an enormous dressing room with natural lighting, an inviting double bathroom and the bedroom. The bedroom area has a large window which opens onto a beautiful private terrace with a gorgeous view over the entire property, outfitted with hammocks and a table with sunshade.
In the basement is an extensive games room with Library, billiards, movie theater and kitchenette, all respecting the house’s original marble floor, which has only been given a matt finish for modernization purposes.
The entire space has mobile glass walls which can be fully opened, leading onto the terrace, to the garden and to the magnificent swimming pool.
The main façade has been respected, and modernized with natural woods placed at random over the doors, and with a large number in stainless steel as a finishing touch.
Natural materials, extensive and well-lighted spaces, new areas and a better use of space help to make this a calming house, welcoming and entertaining, all with the fifty-year old flavor of the Pedregal.
