Copas
Copas
Copas
Copas
Copas
Copas
Copas
Magic and pragmatism: In this two-part home in stunning Valle de Bravo, Mexico, the poetic and the quotidian commingle in wondrous ways. Copas is composed of two main pavilions, one nestled into the terrain of its wooded site, the other seeming to rise above the first. The lower volume houses the bedrooms. Connected to it by a retaining wall, with access from the ground via an open staircase, the upper volume contains the “public” areas.
“It’s reminiscent of climbing a mountain,” say the architects, Mexican firm PPAA, in describing the concept. “As you ascend, you discover the breathtaking views.” With generous glazing that provides sightlines to both the canopy in which it is ensconced and the vast landscape beyond, the upper volume appears as though camouflaged in its setting — as much an organic extension of it as a man-made intervention. The firm explains that Copas was “born from an understanding and respect for the nature that inhabits the place … and adapts to the site’s topography by absorbing the slope and requiring minimal excavation.”
There were a few rocks overturned, however. One of them, a formidable boulder, now takes pride of place in the open-roof entrance pavilion — a fittingly dramatic introduction to this striking home complete with a trompe l’oeil floating door. Inside, the interiors are minimalist to the max: A fireplace appears as a rectangular void in the wall, furniture — including the living room’s built-in sofa — is integrated into the concrete shell, and the covered terrace is paved in the same brick as the roofscape that unfurls from it. Just outside the white curtains, a resplendent infinity pool adds a touch of luxury. It’s the pièce de résistance in a home that feels like a veritable sanctuary.
Team: Pablo Pérez Palacios with Emilio Calvo, Miguel Vargas, Andrés Domínguez, Nancy Estévez, Sergio Delgado and Adán García
Copas, a house by Mexican firm PPAA, was born from an understanding and respect for the nature that inhabits the place.
