In a Mexican jungle, a gleaming minimalist home ‘balances matter and void’

Mexico-based practice HW Studio has completed Casa Malonic, a coastal residence in Zihuatanejo. The scheme is designed around a sequence of enclosed and open spaces that frame the surrounding jungle and Pacific Ocean.

The project responds to a site characterized by dense vegetation, mature trees, rocky terrain, and expansive views toward the sea. Rather than treating the house as an isolated object within the landscape, the design team sought to reduce the scheme to a limited number of elements, primarily a ground plane, roof, walls, and shaded spaces.

From the street, the building appears as a largely enclosed minimalist white volume accompanied by a curved concrete wall. Following the trajectory of the adjacent road, the wall establishes a boundary between the residence and the street while guiding occupants toward the entrance. Existing vegetation, rocks, and changes in topography ...