Architects and designers create countless homes for clients across the globe, but nothing quite compares to designing a home of one’s own.
That’s why, when Bernardo García – architect and partner at Mexico City-based architecture studio Método – acquired his family home in 2014, he jumped at the chance to realise it himself. I think every architect dreams of building and designing their own house,” he says.
Dubbed 3:2 House and located in a residential neighbourhood in the west of Mexico City, Bernardo conceived the abode as a sanctuary for himself, his wife and their two children. He recalls that their requirements were very basic, but he found himself overflowing with ideas. In a way, this made my work as an architect much harder,” he says.
The concept behind House 3:2 is a family home where public and private areas merge into each other, rather than being delineated by walls and doors. Before, residential architecture had mostly closed spaces for every activity,” says Bernardo. I believe that families in our century should have a different way of living.”
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Rather than being divided into rooms, the home consists of four zones: private, semi-private, public and services. The bedrooms, of course, are in the private area, while the library and studio are in the semi-private area, and the living and dining areas are in the public area.
The lack of limits in the design allows us to interact with each other,” explains Bernardo. Wherever one is located, they can be visually connected with the interior and exterior.” The result is a deceptively simple cube where spaces blend into each other harmoniously, whether interior or exterior and no matter which storey. The materials and colours, in turn, reflect the simplicity of the architecture – concrete and wood make for a neutral palette that doesn’t distract.
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While Bernardo’s wife, a photographer, often works in her at-home studio, Bernardo prefers to pursue his hobbies of playing the guitar and the piano. Of course, the couple also enjoys spending time with their kids outside or in the family room, as well as entertaining company.
When you design a house, you’re actually designing a way of living,” he explains. You’re imagining the type of family that will inhabit the space, and their values. The architecture must reflect the personality of its inhabitants, and the inhabitants must reflect the architecture.”
Browse more inspiring abodes in our Homes section.
A version of this article originally appeared in our August 2017 issue.
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