A white cube pierced by openings of different sizes glows at night. From the street, the building reads less like a house than a monolithic abstract sculpture.
House Within a Cube I is one of two homes that the practice operadora. completed on the same footprint in Pachuca, Mexico. Both share one aesthetic, but their layouts differ.
Founded in 2014 and led by Edgar Rodriguez, operadora. has offices in Mexico City and Syracuse, New York, according to the firm’s website.
How the three levels of the pachuca cube house fit together
The plan is compact, so the studio relied on gentle changes in floor height. An angular staircase connects the three floors.
The ground floor holds the living areas, social spaces and kitchen. The upper level contains the bedrooms and a bathroom. A rooftop terrace with service areas occupies the third floor.
Surfaces, openings and views
Cement render covers the exterior. The finish is smooth and bright, which gives the cube a flat, even face.
Windows of varied sizes cut through that face. They frame the garden and the neighboring houses, so the openings frame views of the garden and the neighboring houses.
Color and mass can also shape a Mexican house in unexpected ways. Pink Architecture Turns a San Luis Potosí Desert Home Colorful shows how bold surfaces change the way a house reads from outside.
Inside the home, the palette stays restrained in the manner of a minimalist house. White walls match the exterior and make the wood furniture, doors and floors stand out. The ground floor is laid with precast concrete slabs, which add texture underfoot. The approach echoes wider currents in contemporary mexican architecture.
Structure and scale
According to Afasia Archzine, the house sits inside a 7.5-meter cube. Its walls are load-bearing brick, and its floors are built from joists and infill blocks.
The same source notes that subtle changes in level expand the perceived scale of the compact interior.
Scale and sculpture also matter when a house sits on a dramatic site. Casa Asomada: A Sculptural Coastal Retreat in Chile offers a comparison, with its cliffside form that seems to belong to the landscape as much as to its owners.
Photography is by Arturo Arrieta.
Two houses on one footprint, one cube, three floors. The project shows how a plain white box can hold a full household and still read as sculpture.
Source: gessato.com
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the House Within a Cube in Pachuca, Mexico?
The House Within a Cube I was completed by the practice operadora. Founded in 2014 and led by Edgar Rodriguez, the firm has offices in Mexico City and Syracuse, New York.
What is on each floor of the Pachuca cube house?
The ground floor holds the living areas, social spaces and kitchen, and the upper level contains the bedrooms and a bathroom. The third floor is a rooftop terrace with service areas.
What material covers the exterior of the Pachuca cube house?
Cement render covers the exterior, with a smooth and bright finish that gives the cube a flat, even face. Windows of varied sizes cut through that surface.
How big is the cube house in Pachuca and how is it built?
According to Afasia Archzine, the house sits inside a 7.5-meter cube. Its walls are load-bearing brick, and its floors are made from joists and infill blocks.
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