Arbolada Villa in Cancún is conceived as a compact urban oasis that filters the intense Caribbean climate through a sculptural architectural envelope. The project organizes domestic life behind a protective shell, using a dynamic interplay of solids and voids to balance privacy, openness, and environmental performance. The main gesture is a single continuous frame that folds around the upper levels, creating a clear, iconic silhouette while acting as a climatic visor. Within this protective outline, the house is layered with gardens, terraces and vertical filters that soften the transition between street and interior.
The volumetry is defined by a clean horizontal base and a sharply inclined upper frame. This frame is partially detached from the internal volume, generating a deep ventilated cavity where shadows, reflections and vegetation interact. A dense rhythm of vertical fins runs along the main elevation, gradually stepping down to reveal the interior garden. These slats control solar gain from the low western sun, while preserving outward views and a strong sense of lightness. At night, integrated uplighting transforms the façade into a softly glowing lantern within the neighborhood.
The dark, solid plinth houses the more private and service-oriented functions, buffering the living areas from the street. Above, the main social spaces open toward the internal patio and elevated garden, taking advantage of cross-ventilation created by carefully positioned openings behind the louvered screen. The uppermost level is conceived as an intimate retreat with direct access to roof landscaping, visually connected to the sky through the angular opening of the frame. Circulation is linear and legible, allowing fluid progression from the protected entrance to increasingly open and introspective spaces.
A deliberate contrast is established between the monolithic white frame and the darker, textured base. The plinth employs stone or concrete with a natural finish, grounding the villa and providing thermal mass. Warm-toned wood appears in balcony linings and planter edges, introducing tactility against the crisp white shell. Artificial lighting emphasizes the architectural geometry rather than individual fixtures: linear LEDs articulate the frame, while grazing lights enhance the vertical fins and vegetation. This layered lighting strategy ensures low glare, reduced energy consumption and a strong nighttime identity without excessive luminance spilling into the public realm.
Vegetation is not treated as an accessory but as a fundamental spatial layer. Dense planting at ground level softens the junction with the street and improves microclimate conditions along the façade. Elevated planters on the upper levels bring greenery directly into the living spaces, acting as visual filters and additional shading devices. The composition favors native or adapted species suitable for Cancún’s humid tropical climate, reducing irrigation needs and maintenance while encouraging biodiversity within the gated community context.
Sustainability is embedded in the form rather than applied as an afterthought. The vertical fins and deep frame significantly reduce direct solar radiation on glazing, lowering cooling loads in the hot, humid climate. The ventilated façade cavity and operable openings support natural cross-ventilation during milder periods, decreasing dependence on mechanical air conditioning. The compact footprint preserves permeable garden areas that aid stormwater absorption during intense rainfall. High-performance glazing, LED lighting and the potential integration of photovoltaic panels on the concealed roof surfaces complement these passive strategies, resulting in a stylish yet environmentally responsible villa for contemporary Cancún living.
Arbolada Villa in Cancún is conceived as a compact urban oasis that filters the intense Caribbean climate through a sculptural architectural envelope. The project organizes domestic life behind a protective shell, using a dynamic interplay of solids and voids to balance privacy, openness, and environmental performance. The main gesture is a single continuous frame that folds around the upper levels, creating a clear, iconic silhouette while acting as a climatic visor. Within this protective outline, the house is layered with gardens, terraces and vertical filters that soften the transition between street and interior.
The volumetry is defined by a clean horizontal base and a sharply inclined upper frame. This frame is partially detached from the internal volume, generating a deep ventilated cavity where shadows, reflections and vegetation interact. A dense rhythm of vertical fins runs along the main elevation, gradually stepping down to reveal the interior garden. These slats control solar gain from the low western sun, while preserving outward views and a strong sense of lightness. At night, integrated uplighting transforms the façade into a softly glowing lantern within the neighborhood.
The dark, solid plinth houses the more private and service-oriented functions, buffering the living areas from the street. Above, the main social spaces open toward the internal patio and elevated garden, taking advantage of cross-ventilation created by carefully positioned openings behind the louvered screen. The uppermost level is conceived as an intimate retreat with direct access to roof landscaping, visually connected to the sky through the angular opening of the frame. Circulation is linear and legible, allowing fluid progression from the protected entrance to increasingly open and introspective spaces.
A deliberate contrast is established between the monolithic white frame and the darker, textured base. The plinth employs stone or concrete with a natural finish, grounding the villa and providing thermal mass. Warm-toned wood appears in balcony linings and planter edges, introducing tactility against the crisp white shell. Artificial lighting emphasizes the architectural geometry rather than individual fixtures: linear LEDs articulate the frame, while grazing lights enhance the vertical fins and vegetation. This layered lighting strategy ensures low glare, reduced energy consumption and a strong nighttime identity without excessive luminance spilling into the public realm.
Vegetation is not treated as an accessory but as a fundamental spatial layer. Dense planting at ground level softens the junction with the street and improves microclimate conditions along the façade. Elevated planters on the upper levels bring greenery directly into the living spaces, acting as visual filters and additional shading devices. The composition favors native or adapted species suitable for Cancún’s humid tropical climate, reducing irrigation needs and maintenance while encouraging biodiversity within the gated community context.
Sustainability is embedded in the form rather than applied as an afterthought. The vertical fins and deep frame significantly reduce direct solar radiation on glazing, lowering cooling loads in the hot, humid climate. The ventilated façade cavity and operable openings support natural cross-ventilation during milder periods, decreasing dependence on mechanical air conditioning. The compact footprint preserves permeable garden areas that aid stormwater absorption during intense rainfall. High-performance glazing, LED lighting and the potential integration of photovoltaic panels on the concealed roof surfaces complement these passive strategies, resulting in a stylish yet environmentally responsible villa for contemporary Cancún living.
Our offices are located in Barcelona, Cancún, Chicago and Santo Domingo, but thanks to technology we can do projects on all over the world.
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