Villas Escondida

Designed by Mexican firm Francisco Pardo Arquitecto the VillasEscondida are located 50 meters from the Pacific Ocean, on a cliff-top overlooking the bay of Puerto Escondido ("Hidden Port"), inMexico. Renowned for its wild and endless beaches, the area is one of the most reveredtourist attractions on the Oaxacan Coast, welcoming surfersfrom all over the world, and attracting a more low-keyand eclectic clientele. ©Onnis Luque ©Onnis Luque ©Onnis Luque Nestled in the vegetation, the project respects the environment by mirroring the slope of the site with its 20° to 40° incline, through a sequence of stepping, rotation and intermediate patios. A standard replicable pattern is established, enabling 180° views and plenty of natural light and ventilation in each unit, thanks to a complex and alternating layout that offers residents a unique experience. The complex comprises of 16 residencies of 150 sqm plus the terrace, measuring 70 sqm on the lower level. Despite the high-density on site, the apartments, embedded into the hillside in various ways, feel more like villas than apartments. Each unit consists of two or three bedrooms, an open-plan living and dining room, and a private terrace – which frames the idyllic scenery and the sea-horizon, while guaranteeing maximum privacy through the extensive plants strategically placed around its perimeters. ©Onnis Luque ©Onnis Luque ©Onnis Luque Each apartment has a small private swimming pool, and three types of common areas feature on the uppermost rooftops: to the East (the highest), a bar and rest area; in the center, the main swimming pool with a sundeck; and to the West, a smaller pool for children. ©Onnis Luque ©Onnis Luque ©Onnis Luque The apartments are accessed through a system of natural pathways and two gardens that replicate the natural slope of the terrain and stretch down to the sea. The ocean breeze, in synergy with the shade provided by cantilevered roofs and the cross ventilation generated by the terrace and the lateral walls, provides passive cooling options. ©Onnis Luque Inside, the units offer a comfortable place to relax and take refuge from the sun. Natural-toned wood wraps the exquisitely tailored-madeinteriors, adding visual warmth and reinforcing the connection to the natural context. ©Mauricio Guerrero ©Mauricio Guerrero ©Mauricio Guerrero ©Mauricio Guerrero Villas Escondida are entirely built with a simple structure of reinforced concrete, block walls, cement, sand and ribbed slabs. This system haspermitted flexible construction and a solid structure, resistant to the characteristic earthquakes that affect the area. The main finishing details of the external facades and the interiors are made with Chukun, flattened with fine sand cement and the suggestive local “Macuil” wood. ©Onnis Luque ©Onnis Luque Rather than trespassing on the landscape, this original project that slopes down toward the beach to catch the ocean’s breeze, is intended to integrate into the site blanketed with vegetation, emphasizing the architecture's connection to its natural setting. ©Mauricio Guerrero(L) ©Onnis Luque(R) ：Gumaro Lizárraga, Grupo GLM