A wet and wild hacienda design
A $2.5M hacienda near Mexico City is designed around its flowing water
A river runs through it to divide this Mexican home in two,
Imagine the tranquility of a small river trickling by as you drift off to sleep at night.
That’s just one of the perks at River House, located in Valle de Bravo, a colonial town 140 kilometres west of Mexico City on Lake Avandaro and a destination for water sports.
Another perk of the 13,000square-foot private home? The second river.
A natural river surrounds River House, while an artificial river created by the architects divides the house into two spaces.
One is the larger living area with kitchen, dining room, living room, and main terrace on the ground level. Beneath those rooms on the lower floor there’s a wine cellar and multimedia room.
A bridge connects to the smaller, more private area containing five bedrooms including the master suite, and an underground level spa complete with massage tables and sauna.
Sustainable features of the unique and sprawling home include a water treatment plant, rain water recovery system, LED lighting and automation with an energy saving system.
River House, completed in 2018, took 19 months to design and build — with all-local materials — for $2.5 million (U.S.)
Architect Luciano Gerbilsky, of Luciano Gerbilsky Arquitectos in Mexico City, answers a few questions about River House:
What inspired your design of the home?
I get most of my inspiration from the surrounding area of each project. In this case, the land to be constructed had a stream and abundant vegetation, including beautiful tall trees. My focus began there. Whose idea was it to create a design with a natural water feature surrounding it?
The first time I visited the site where our client wanted to build, I stumbled upon the stream hiding behind trees.
This incredible discovery led me to the idea of River House.
We worked with the land to create a river that went through the whole property. We widened the borders and filled in the bottom to make a broader river that not only surrounds the house, but becomes an essential part of the design.
Is there any risk of flooding?
No. There is no risk. I took into account the highest water level possible in the rainy season, designing a kind of breakwater between the house limits and the river. What were the challenges in building the home?
First of all, the most complicated challenge was to connect the river with the house, because the land has a very steep slope. I’m not a fan of bunk beds but these are stunning. How did they come about?
I’m not a fan off traditional bunk beds either, but I needed to design a bedroom for six people. So I began to realize how to design an esthetic bunk bed with two single beds above two queen beds. Finally, I got an elegant, fun and functional bunk bed.
What effect do the natural building materials and the river have on the residents?
The exposure to nature that is provided from any room and space transmits a very special feeling. It generates an incredible sense of wellness for anyone in the house. How do you think the pandemic will affect your work in the future?
All my team is working from home, which has benefited all those involved. When we have to be on-site, face masks are a must as well as social distancing. We are living in uncertain times which are increasingly complex — especially thinking towards the future.
This crisis brings several changes in all the areas and ways of living. We, as architects and designers, have the responsibility to be innovative with the use of sustainable processes, materials and taking care of the land. This must be our main and most important goal.