A Pair of Hang Gliders Imagine a Home From a Bird’s-Eye View

Mexico City is a busy place. Looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle, at least on the weekends, one couple laid plans to build a retreat near Lake Avándaro in Valle de Bravo. Just two hours driving from the country’s capital, the lake is known for breezes that make for excellent hang gliding.

As avid hang gliders, the couple had a keen interest in how their new home would look from an aerial view, or what they deemed the "fifth facade." On seven acres, in the middle of a field of avocado trees that spills down into a forest, Francisco Pardo Arquitectos created Avocado House, a subterranean design that disappears into the landscape under a green roof.

"The main goal was to guarantee a privileged view of the forest," explains architect Francisco Pardo. "At the same time, the client wanted to leave the avocado field intact, which inspired us to literally bury the house."

Made mostly of concrete, the home has the feel of a bunker. From ground level, a concrete stair leads down into a courtyard that, from above, looks like a rectangular cutout. The courtyard leads into the home, which maintains an open feel in spite of being built underground. Low-height walls were inserted sparingly and, where they were used, kept detached from the roof to create a continuous concrete ceiling that flows throughout the home.

At the heart of the home are a kitchen, dining area, and living room that lead out to a terrace facing the forest. The home’s select custom elements—the kitchen island’s wood counters and the hanging black metal fireplace—punctuate interiors that are otherwise austere. A studio and four bedrooms, including two for friends and family, circulate the main living space.

The design’s restrained, natural tones and textures complement the minimalist, low-maintenance material palette. The bare concrete structure is paired with chukum walls, a natural stucco from Mexico’s Yucatan region, and partitions made of recycled pine wood salvaged during construction.

In the courtyard and surrounding outdoor areas, avocado trees sprout above the concealed and unassuming structure, helping achieve the couple’s goal of preserving the natural elements and minimizing the home’s impact on the surrounding environment.

Related Reading:

This Wild, Curvaceous Home Is Buried Beneath the Earth

An Astounding Tessellated Home in Greece Burrows Into the Earth

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Francisco Pardo Arquitecto / @franciscopardomx

Structural Engineer: Luis David Moctzuma, Alejandro Moctzuma

Lighting Designer: Luz Desing / @luzdesingiluminacion

Furniture: La Metropolitana / @_lametropolitana