PLY Villa in Playa del Carmen is conceived as a low, elongated structure that merges with the surrounding jungle rather than dominating it. The central concept is to transform the house into an inhabitable piece of terrain, allowing the natural ground plane to rise and become a green roof. Architecture and landscape are treated as a single continuous system, enabling living spaces to extend fluidly between interior and exterior while remaining protected from the intense tropical climate.
The villa is located on a densely vegetated plot within the Riviera Maya, characterized by mature trees, filtered light and a relatively flat topography. The layout is drawn around existing trunks, creating patios and open courts that preserve native vegetation and the local ecosystem. This careful positioning maintains the natural shade structure of the site, stabilizes the microclimate and visually anchors the building to its forest context, giving the impression that the house has grown out of the terrain.
The project is composed of interlocking horizontal volumes with strategic double-height areas. These bodies slide beneath generous roof overhangs and form deep verandas that serve as climatic buffers. A key volumetric gesture is the grass-covered ramp that ascends from the garden to the roof, complemented by a sharply inclined wooden volume that cantilevers above the green surface. Together, these elements generate a dynamic silhouette and reinforce the idea of carved landscape rather than conventional built mass.
Material choices emphasize lightness and thermal performance. Smooth white envelopes frame the composition, reflecting solar radiation and creating soft, curved transitions between walls and roofs. Local stone is used as a robust base, providing thermal inertia and a tactile link to the region. Warm timber cladding defines the main cantilevered volume, while full-height glass panes open the interiors to the garden. Vertical wooden louvers and slatted fences modulate privacy and daylight, casting layered shadows that respond to the movement of the sun through the trees.
The interior organization follows a clear hierarchy: a central social spine houses living, dining and kitchen areas, all visually and physically connected to the garden through large sliding doors. Bedrooms and more private functions are distributed in lateral wings, each with direct access to terraces or patios. Circulation takes place along glazed galleries that act as transitional verandas, always maintaining visual contact with vegetation. Neutral flooring and restrained finishes allow natural light, greenery and timber ceilings to define a calm, resort-like atmosphere.
Landscape design forms the structural backbone of the project. The accessible green roof, reached by a planted ramp parallel to a sculpted stair, extends the garden onto the roof plane and functions as an elevated lookout and social platform. This vegetated surface restores permeable area, enhances biodiversity and becomes a visual continuation of the lawn below. Glass balustrades minimize visual interruption while ensuring safety, allowing the green plane to read as a continuous carpet framed by forest canopy and architectural volumes.
Sustainability is approached primarily through passive means. Building orientation, preserved trees and generous overhangs create deep shade, limiting solar gain on glazed surfaces. Cross-ventilation is promoted by operable windows on opposite façades and by open-ended galleries that behave as breezeways. The green roof improves thermal insulation, reduces heat island effect and aids in rainwater management. Local stone and regional timber reduce transportation impact and support local economies, while systems such as solar water heating further decrease operational energy demand, resulting in a climate-adapted, low-impact villa integrated with its environment.
PLY Villa in Playa del Carmen is conceived as a low, elongated structure that merges with the surrounding jungle rather than dominating it. The central concept is to transform the house into an inhabitable piece of terrain, allowing the natural ground plane to rise and become a green roof. Architecture and landscape are treated as a single continuous system, enabling living spaces to extend fluidly between interior and exterior while remaining protected from the intense tropical climate.
The villa is located on a densely vegetated plot within the Riviera Maya, characterized by mature trees, filtered light and a relatively flat topography. The layout is drawn around existing trunks, creating patios and open courts that preserve native vegetation and the local ecosystem. This careful positioning maintains the natural shade structure of the site, stabilizes the microclimate and visually anchors the building to its forest context, giving the impression that the house has grown out of the terrain.
The project is composed of interlocking horizontal volumes with strategic double-height areas. These bodies slide beneath generous roof overhangs and form deep verandas that serve as climatic buffers. A key volumetric gesture is the grass-covered ramp that ascends from the garden to the roof, complemented by a sharply inclined wooden volume that cantilevers above the green surface. Together, these elements generate a dynamic silhouette and reinforce the idea of carved landscape rather than conventional built mass.
Material choices emphasize lightness and thermal performance. Smooth white envelopes frame the composition, reflecting solar radiation and creating soft, curved transitions between walls and roofs. Local stone is used as a robust base, providing thermal inertia and a tactile link to the region. Warm timber cladding defines the main cantilevered volume, while full-height glass panes open the interiors to the garden. Vertical wooden louvers and slatted fences modulate privacy and daylight, casting layered shadows that respond to the movement of the sun through the trees.
The interior organization follows a clear hierarchy: a central social spine houses living, dining and kitchen areas, all visually and physically connected to the garden through large sliding doors. Bedrooms and more private functions are distributed in lateral wings, each with direct access to terraces or patios. Circulation takes place along glazed galleries that act as transitional verandas, always maintaining visual contact with vegetation. Neutral flooring and restrained finishes allow natural light, greenery and timber ceilings to define a calm, resort-like atmosphere.
Landscape design forms the structural backbone of the project. The accessible green roof, reached by a planted ramp parallel to a sculpted stair, extends the garden onto the roof plane and functions as an elevated lookout and social platform. This vegetated surface restores permeable area, enhances biodiversity and becomes a visual continuation of the lawn below. Glass balustrades minimize visual interruption while ensuring safety, allowing the green plane to read as a continuous carpet framed by forest canopy and architectural volumes.
Sustainability is approached primarily through passive means. Building orientation, preserved trees and generous overhangs create deep shade, limiting solar gain on glazed surfaces. Cross-ventilation is promoted by operable windows on opposite façades and by open-ended galleries that behave as breezeways. The green roof improves thermal insulation, reduces heat island effect and aids in rainwater management. Local stone and regional timber reduce transportation impact and support local economies, while systems such as solar water heating further decrease operational energy demand, resulting in a climate-adapted, low-impact villa integrated with its environment.
Nuestras oficinas están en Barcelona, Cancún, Chicago y Santo Domingo, pero gracias a la tecnología podemos desarrollar proyectos en cualquier parte del mundo.
Barcelona
Bac de Roda 136
08020, Barcelona
Spain
Madrid
Av. de Buendía 11
19005 Guadalajara (Madrid)
Spain
Chicago
373 Hazel Ave, Apt A1
60022, Glencoe, Illinois
United States