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CASA MAVRA DESIGNED BY TALLER ALBERTO CALLEJA IN VALLE DE BRAVO, MEXICO

by da.team April 24 2026, 08:13 TALLERALBERTOCALLEJA MEXICO HOUSES

Casa Mavra, designed by Taller Alberto Calleja, is conceived as a composition of two sharply defined volumes that pivot toward the surrounding landscape. Cast in dark concrete, these forms anchor themselves firmly to the ground, asserting a deliberate spatial order within the site.

A central gesture of the project is a continuous ascending wall that guides the experience from the exterior inward. Accompanied by the presence and sound of flowing water cascading alongside the steps, this element marks the transition from the street into the house. It orchestrates the progression toward the core of the dwelling, where circulation and spatial organization converge. As it extends, the wall transforms into the roof planes, shifting in direction and scale, and ultimately giving rise to the bold identity of the project, Mavra, meaning “black.”

The western horizontal wing accommodates the shared living spaces. These areas are interconnected through a sequence of corners that open onto lush patios, where vegetation becomes an extension of the interior. Throughout this volume, the architecture maintains a constant dialogue with the surrounding landscape.

To the east, the private quarters unfold. Bedrooms are arranged along a network of connecting nodes and elongated corridors that invite both movement and pause. Openings in walls and willings allow light, shadow, and rain to filter in, creating evolving atmospheres that change over the course of the day and night.