Mind the Gap (for the Trees)
Treehouses are lovely, but they also tend to be small and rather too rustic for our liking. Casa Santa Maria Del Oro is not a treehouse, but rather a house with trees growing through it. The effect is similar, but infinitely more spacious and sophisticated.
This vacation house in the Nayarit state of Mexico is designed by the architects at MCxA Group, who have a profound respect for the surrounding nature. Their intention is to showcase as much of the landscape as possible and to preserve a few large, mature trees, hence the gaping big holes in the building through which they sprout - but more on that later.
This two-storey house is built into a steep hillside site by the shore of a lake. Access to the entrance is via a steep downhill path with steps made from a forest of concrete pillars that resemble tree trunk stumps. The roof is planted over with local vegetation, rendering the structure of the building almost invisible. The ground floor houses the principal living spaces and two ensuite bedrooms. There is a vast outdoor terrace with stupendous waterside views, framed by a magnificent wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. These can pivot-open individually or slide across and fold away to open up the wall entirely. Two large circular openings on the terrace allow the said large mature trees to burst through the floor, like a scene from Jack and the Giant Beanstalk. One of these openings is ringed by a shallow reflection pool, which adds to the magical quality of the setting. A curvaceous staircase from the terrace leads down to the basement level with a third bedroom, utility rooms and access to a boat dock.
The space inside is furnished simply and elegantly in muted natural tones. Two smaller openings at the back of the house form internal courtyards, a clever way to bring light deep into the internal space. They also bring the outside in, making it clear, in case it is not obvious, that nature is the star attraction of this delightful home.
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Product Inspiration
Bring the outside in with furniture that celebrates the beauty of nature, such as the Pebble Rubble Sofa from Moroso, the Djembe Centre Table from Collector and the Rudi Chair from Woak.
The Link Suspension Light from LZF is perfect for the Casa Santa Maria del Oro. Other natural style lights such as the Cell Floor Light from Karman and the Moon T Table Light from Davide Groppi will also work well.
Go for bold accessories with organic shapes, such as the Curve Bowl from 101 Copenhagen, the Vertigo Wall Hanger from Nomon and the Scrapwood Wallpaper from NLXL.
