Casa La Reserva

The house named La Reserva (The Reservoir) takes its name from the place where it is located and it is the result of a design process which was shaped while the architectural program was being developed in collaboration with the client. This piece of land does not exceed 128 sq.m. and it is located near the main road in the city of Xalapa. This fact highly benefits the project considering that, in this city, the urban sprawl is moving to the outskits of the city uncontrollably fast. The central idea of the project arises as both an inspiration and as a tribute to our vernacular architecture so typical of the region. This architecture has recently been displaced by new concepts and by doctrines of a globalized architecture that lacks identity.
The housing architecture at the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, at least in Xalapa, was conceived through a simple form with a justified distribution of the spaces surrounding the patio. Starting from there, the project’s guiding axes were drawn from this important space which became the protagonist of the house once again. The patio had been formely neglected as a simple backyard and as an alien section of the house. This new idea gave La Reserva a new meaning; even the whole house is seen in a different way. The life that goes both through the public and private spaces is more direct and pleasant. Similarly the light that penetrates the center of the house is generously distributed and the crosswinds make the house an enjoyable place. What happens outside is quite different from what happens inside. The street where this house was built is very busy with traffic and people during the day; a fact that pollutes the area both visually and acoustically. For this reason it was decided to create an introspective house using
latticework both in the facade and in the internal courtyard which plays an important role in the design of the project, making it impossible to ignore. As a result this house became less “shy” but “bolder”. This project is also the answer to a number of needs since it allowed light and air to enter freely. Color is an important aspect of the Mexican culture. To speak about La Reserva is to talk about yellow. The choice of this color, together with the white, was not fortuitous. The combination of these two colors makes the spaces come to life. The final result is a house that seems secluded from the outside but that opens up the moment people step inside. It is full of shades of color, textures, light and shadow. In a nutshell, as Barragan used to do, the way houses were done before.