Architects: Fino Lozano, Moro Taller de Arquitectura
Area: 125 m² (1,345 ft²)
Year: 2022
Photography: Rafael Palacios Macias
Lead Architect: Delfino Lozano Salcedo
Collaborative Architect: Mauricio Rodríguez / Moro Taller de Arquitectura
Administration And Purchasing: María Fernanda Rodríguez Lozano
Senior Construction Manager: Daniel Villalba Diaz de Sandi
Workshop Manager: Jesús Sánchez Guzmán
Architectural Design And Representation: Daniela Paulette Zurita Alvarez, Valeria Macias
Design And Construction Of Structures: Delfino Lozano Armenta
Construction / Earth Walls: Mauricio Rodríguez / Moro Taller de Arquitectura
Program: Ground Floor: Garage, Service Closet, Entrance Patio, Half Bathroom, Kitchen, Living/ Dining Room, Patio. Bedroom with Bathroom Upper floor: Terrace
City: San José de Gracia
Country: Mexico
Nandi House, a residential building designed by Fino Lozano and Moro Taller de Arquitectura in San José de Gracia, Michoacán, integrates bio-construction techniques to create an economically and environmentally viable home. Completed in 2022, the project features sustainable materials and design, enhancing both functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Located in San José de Gracia, Michoacán, Casa Nandi is a two-story house developed in collaboration with Moro Taller de Arquitectura. The second floor includes a terrace offering panoramic views of the landscape, encouraging contemplation of the immediate context.
Situated on a north-south facing lot, the construction area is 125 m² (1,345 ft²). This project challenged the workshop to explore different Mexican landscapes and integrate new ideas with the local context.
The primary objectives were economic and environmental viability, using bio-construction techniques to blend the building with the landscape. The design optimizes orientation for natural light and ventilation, creating an illuminated but private atmosphere that fosters harmony for the occupants.
The structure is sustainable and simple, featuring pine wood beams topped with handmade mud bricks and a concrete slab. This exposes the natural mud and wooden beams, celebrating the materials’ inherent qualities.
The walls combine ancient rammed earth techniques with modern concrete casting, demonstrating the timelessness of well-selected design and materials. These combined techniques provide thermal and acoustic insulation and create a striking contrast with the black stone floor, ironwork windows, and carpentry and polished cement finishes, resulting in a monochromatic palette with subtle material accents.
The architectural program is designed for easy navigation and the contemplation of every corner. The first floor includes the entrance to the courtyard hall, garage, laundry room, half bathroom, living room, and kitchen. A transition patio leads to the master bedroom with a full bathroom and closet. A staircase at the entrance allows access to the terrace, where one can enjoy the sunrise or a starry night.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: San José de Gracia, Michoacán 59500, Mexico
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
Classicism was not intended to represent things as they are. . . . It was a proposal of what could be. The prevalent consideration of classical tradition revolves around the theory of decorum. Decorum refers to that which is ‘fitting’. In its Latin use decorum had the same sense of proper, suitable. In architecture decorum came to mean the appropriateness of form to the program and to the physical or social context and circumstances. ‘Nandi House’ is an exellent work; it is the monumentalization of the vernacular.