There are places where time pauses and it only remains to breathe, admire, enjoy and become aware of everything around us, where the beauty of nature amazes, but the talent and creativity of human beings also surprises us, and Casa Cova is one of them. Located in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, this majestic residence is captured between the Pacific Ocean and the mountains, and was created by Architecture office Anonimous, who had as their main requirement to make a vacation home for two families, which involved creating two different compounds of private rooms that connected through the common recreational areas.
Casa Cova consists of two main parts: the area with the private suites is located at the two parallel arms, while the common areas are at the center. It has two main entrances that pass through an imposing lattice wall, which helps to cross-ventilate the common spaces and creates a dynamic light pattern that makes it super unique. We love the fact that they managed to mix the innovation of its architecture with essential beach elements such as the spectacular palapa that houses some of the common areas; it is a regional cover technique made of dried palm tree leaves that cools down the tropical temperatures down to around 730F by providing shade and room for the heat to exit through the top of the structure.
Having the Pacific Ocean practically at your door is a luxury that only few people can boast of having that privilege, and if additionally you have a pool designed as a set of alternating planes which contains shaded recreational areas, the plan sounds like it couldn´t be any better.
Another of the things we like the most about the house is that it was designed to work and coexist with its natural environment, using locally sourced dried palm tree leaves on walls and ceilings, Parota wood for the carpentry and an extensive range of greens, thanks to the regional low-maintenance vegetation chosen for the landscaping. The reliant use of concrete on the structure and finishes responds to local needs as well; the constant intensity of the sun and the salinity of the place demanded a material that ages finely without the need of much maintenance.
The interlocking main rooms with high ceilings of Casa Cova seek to remind us of the alternating heights of the massive chambers of Mitla archeological ruins, juxtaposed with the smaller private passages commonly found on pre-colonial regional architecture; one more sample that the project is full of congruence and that, what has been achieved, is not a coincidence; each element comes from the roots of the place and managed to evolve to meet current needs in a dream house that I am sure we would all like to know.
Photos by Rafael Gamo.