Location: Acapulco, Mexico Year of construction: 1998 Architects: Migdal Architects Photography: Alberto Moreno
Located in the city of Acapulco, Villa Nautilus is the outcome of concepts that interested Migdal Arquitectos regarding the location and design of the house: topography, climate, function, views, and tectonics among other things.
The steep slope of the land means that the building is the cohesive factor of the site as it reinterprets the existing topography by the placing of a series of buildings that adapt to the immediate surroundings.
There is no primacy of areas: habitable areas combine with walkways and stairs. In this rich combination of environments, the service areas occupy a specific position: facing west in order to block the sunlight and acting as an environmental filter, moderating the extremes of
weather and especially the high temperatures that can be reached in these latitudes.
The villa is designed on a logical and rational basis, as evidenced by its esthetic harmony, structural discipline, and design layout governed by consistent internal rules. Given these characteristics, you might think that the design of the building could turn out somewhat rigid, but the house surprises us with its richness and splendor. Migdal Arquitectos have produced a varied catalogue of environments that, apart from seeking the physical and spiritual comfort of the inhabitants, surprises with many esthetic and perceptive sensations.
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Left-hand page: The details are the result of meticulous study. Part of the exterior lighting, for example, consists of tubes of light along the baseboards that form the transition from the inside to the outside. The surface finishes and fittings complete an overall appearance that is luxurious but never excessive or ostentatious. |
The various floors rotate slightly so as to cover a wide range of views of the magnificent bay. Spectators can enjoy the varying aspects of the countryside depending on which floor they are standing. The house rotates towards the north and the sun protection parapets get smaller as it turns. The tectonic nature of the project is inherent in the structural desire that generated it. To solve the building problems that arose as a result of building on a cliff, it was decided to support the rooms with load-bearing walls, solid floor slabs, and beam and arched slabs.