Holiday House in Monterrey, Mexico by Tatiana Bilbao

Like something out of a Guillermo del Toro fantasy, this holiday home near the mountains of northeastern Mexico is an enchanting illusion in three parts. Called Los Terrenos (‘The Terrain’), the home is the work of Mexico City-based Tatiana Bilbao, and is located in a forest at the foothill of a mountain range. Made up of three separate volumes (one yet to be built), the deconstructed house is fragmented based on function, and laid out in the corners of a perfect square on the site, encircling an organically shaped pool in the centre.

The living room and kitchen may be the most striking—enveloped in mirrored glass, it’s rendered almost invisible amongst the trees. With an asymmetrical peaked roof, the façade both reflects and encloses the surrounding forest. Inside is an open plan, sparsely furnished kitchen, dining area, and living room. Wide glass doors swing open to continue the immediate connection with nature and open out onto the surrounding terracotta-paved terrace.

A floor to ceiling ceramic screen in a chevron pattern covers the rear wall—and runs through the entire project in various ways. While during the day, the mirrored façade obscures the room from sight, at night, lights inside make the mirror transparent, and the glowing interior is revealed.

The second volume houses two bedrooms on an L-shaped plan. While the walls are made of rammed earth and clay bricks, one side of each bedroom features a retractable glass partition allowing it to open out into the trees. Both bedrooms feature wooden platforms and stairs to create a stepped topography, as well as storage space. The final, still to be built building will be the master bedroom—in a wooden house on stilts, with sweeping views above the treetops.