Net-zero retreat in mexico combines home, studio + off-grid bathhouse

Proyecto: Casa Cosecha de Lluvia
Publicación: Designboom

Robert Hutchison Architecture + JSa have collaborated on Rain Harvest Home, an off-grid ensemble located in the mountains south of Valle Bravo, approximately two hours west of Mexico City. Situated in a nature reserve, the project combines a home, an architect’s studio and a bathhouse, all of which are designed to operate in tandem with the local climate. The net-zero retreat can operate off the grid through a solar PV array and an on-site water treatment and storage system, making the most out of the area’s wet and rainy summers and extremely dry winters. ‘the retreat offers a new model for utilizing and conserving water in a region and country where it is an increasingly precious resource,’ explain the two architecture studios.

The net-zero retreat by Robert Hutchison Architecture + JSa is designed to operate in harmony with the surrounding nature and local climate. Strategically sited to provide views towards the Volcan Toluca Mountain, the project combines a home, a detached bathhouse and a studio. Conceived as a pavilion that allows for outdoor use year round, the residence rests on a raised concrete plinth clad with local recinto volcanic stone. This plinth acts as a platform for interior and exterior spaces, while a hovering planted roof is supported by a perimeter colonnade of steel columns.

A few steps away from the home lies the stand-alone bathhouse, which combines references from Louis Kahn’s Trenton Bath House and Bramante’s Tempietto in its design. The circular structure encloses four different bathing activities: hot bath, sauna, steam shower, and washroom. All rooms encircle a cold plunge pool at the center which is open to the sky. The ensemble is complete with a compact studio for an architect, which features an outdoor skyspace right above its breezeway entry. This double-height building is illuminated by a single, large, north-facing window that frames a view of Volcan Toluca Mountain to the north.