Carrizal Residential Development in Mexico City by PPAA

Carrizal Housing residential development by PPAA proudly stands in the streets of Lomas Quebradas, Mexico. Unlike the common neutral colours found in the local architectural fabric, this development is an impressive group of black alabaster-esque facades that offers an atmospheric surprise like no other.

At 2022 square metres the property is accessible from both Carrizal and Pino Street. At the client’s request, Carrizal is split into eight private three-storey houses. PPAA, taking the unique site boundary, contours, and existing trees into consideration, arranged the houses symmetrically like a classic corridor plan. The planning also disguises the entrances to the subterranean carpark. These parking spaces belong to the six houses closest to Pino Street, while the two houses closest to Carrizal Street are provided with two-car timber garage instead.

PPAA, Carrizal Residential Development, Mexico City Residential Architecture | Yellowtrace

The masterplan consists of two L-shape layouts bookending four identical ones in the centre. Each house begins with a ground floor holding a secluded kitchen, living, and dining spaces accessible to a private garden. Private spaces such as bedrooms and rumpus are on the first floor, before opening back out onto the roof terrace on the second.

Interiors are an ensemble of white walls and stone tiled floors – a palette seen frequently in other PPAA’s projects. The simple backdrop is softened by timber doors and deep skylights, expanding the tight illusion of the slender footprint. Windows are orientated to bring quality lighting to the space although, they are positioned strategically to avoid intrusion of their neighbour’s privacy.

Externally, the three-storey houses are rendered in Corev’s Black Corev Mooth, demarcating the private areas. Lesser private spaces are guarded by latticework constructed of perforated precast concrete tiles made from Grupo, allowing light to filter through. Additional deep window balconies are arranged along the translucent façade, drawing a faint visual connection between neighbours.

Majority of the latticework borders the shared passageway of Carrizal Housing. The public corridor is consistently paved with grey stone tiles and tree planters. Ferns and other green foliage from the private gardens grow and poke through the bordering latticework, transforming the path into a lush public courtyard. The space is equally moody and poetic, especially during sunset where a variety of silhouettes with an orange glow are projected onto the solid black. Even windows that face the ebony wall can admire the creative outcome.

Carrizal Housing inspires to shift the conventions of attached housing through creative planning. By taking advantage of natural lighting for playful outcomes against the solid black volumes, PPAA successfully achieves an illusion of depth and field within the space, exuding complexity to the aesthetics. With an emotive playfulness, it will be interesting to see how this will affect the future of master-planning within the area.