One of the oldest and most historic neighborhoods of colonial Merida, the neighborhood of La Mejorada stands out for its importance, beauty, and preservation, with its imposing church and convent made of local limestone at the foot of the plaza of the same name. What was once a merchants' area and train station, is today a quiet neighborhood but full of vitality due to the different schools, faculties, and museums that fill its streets. The brief for the project was to develop a new home for a family that decided to move to Yucatan; in love with its tropical climate, exotic vegetation, and relative peace, with the idea of having a less hectic, more relaxed living experience, immersed in the purest Yucatecan environment.

The original construction of the Casona dates back to the 16th century as a simple construction of masonry walls and 6-meter-high ceilings. The house had two original bays and a series of spaces of modern interventions which were demolished because they lacked relevant value. A generously proportioned lot for a historic center as dense as Merida, where 3 important trees live, defining a scheme and arrangement of the program of parts: a local cucumber, a mango of the region, and at the back of the property an oak of more than 100 years old that grew wildly on the boundaries between the property and the neighbor's property behind.

The architectural intention was to create a tropical garden and central courtyard, to provide natural lighting and ventilation to all spaces, in addition to pretending to be an oasis within the house that would provide comfort, serenity and reference to each of the remaining spaces. Where the treetops converge to give a feeling of freshness and greenery; to this scheme, a series of courtyards interspersed between the architectural program are added to allow the natural crossing of air, filling every corner of the house with light and life. With this millenary, simple, and rational scheme, contiguous spaces are arranged to create a central axis and main circulation that runs throughout the house from beginning to end. At the back of the house is the master bedroom with a large window facing the private shaded patio generated by the tree. A house conceived with simple materials, native to Yucatecan architecture, contrasted with white terrazzo floors to emphasize and increase the natural light.

A land of generous proportions for a historic center as dense as that of Mérida, where 3 important trees live, which define a scheme and arrangement of the program of parts: a local cucumber, a mango from the region and at the back of the property a oak more than 100 years old that grew wild on the boundaries between the arranged property and that of the rear neighbor.

As an architectural intention, we wanted to create a tropical garden and central patio, to provide natural lighting and ventilation to all spaces, in addition to pretending to be an oasis within the house that would give comfort, serenity and reference to each of the remaining spaces. Where the treetops converge to give a feeling of freshness and greenery; To this scheme, a series of patios are added interspersed between the architectural program to allow the natural crossing of air, filling every corner of the house with light and life.

With this ancient, simple and rational scheme, the organization of adjoining spaces creates a central axis and main circulation that runs through the entire house from beginning to end. At the back is the master bedroom with a window facing the private patio with shade generated by the tree. A house conceived with simple materials native to Yucatecan architecture, contrasted with white terrazzo floors to emphasize and increase natural light.


Project Name: Improved House
Architects: Oriundo Taller - http://oriundo.mx/
Location: Mérida, Mexico
Area: 405 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Manolo R Solís - http://www.manolorsolis.com
Lead Architect: Manuel Rodríguez Ramírez
Construction Supervision: Michael Manzanero
Furniture: Enrique Gosselin, Pablo Alvarez
Ambience: Expendio Domestico
Construction: RICAVE
Carpentry: TAJO
Locksmith Metalwork: GRUPO VITRUM

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