THE HILL IN FRONT OF THE GLEN, A HOUSE THAT LISTENS BEFORE IT SPEAKS by HW STUDIO

In the wooded outskirts of Morelia, a house disappears in order to be fully present. Designed by HW Studio Arquitectos and led by Rogelio Vallejo Bores and Oscar Didier Ascencio Castro, The Hill in Front of the Glen is not simply a residential project, it is an exploration of vulnerability, silence, and the deep human desire for protection. This is not architecture that demands attention. It is architecture that waits to be discovered.

A Different Kind of Shelter

At the origin of the project lies a simple yet powerful question: how can one feel protected? 

The answer does not come from fortification or enclosure in the conventional sense. Instead, it emerges from an almost childlike memory, of hiding beneath a thin bed sheet, peeking out just enough to remain aware of the world. This fragile act becomes the conceptual backbone of the house. Rather than building a rigid object, HW Studio creates a spatial condition: a place where one can feel sheltered without losing connection to the surroundings. The house acts like a lifted veil, simultaneously protective and permeable, intimate and open. This duality defines the entire experience.

Architecture That Becomes Landscape

Unlike traditional homes that sit on top of the land, this project transforms the land itself. A new hill is subtly introduced into an already undulating terrain, allowing the building to dissolve into its environment. The gesture is both quiet and radical.

By covering the structure with earth and vegetation, the architects avoid imposing a foreign object onto the site. Instead, they extend the existing topography, creating a seamless continuity between natural and built elements. Here, architecture is not an interruption, it is an inflection in the landscape. The surrounding pines, oaks, and wild vegetation are not decorative backdrops; they are the true protagonists. The house simply punctuates their presence, like a pause in a sentence or a comma in a poem.

Approaching the house is not immediate. It is carefully orchestrated as a process of detachment. A narrow path leads visitors forward, wide enough to walk comfortably alone, yet subtly discouraging companionship. This spatial calibration transforms movement into a solitary experience, almost ritualistic in nature.

Concrete walls rise from the ground, guiding the body while framing fragments of the environment. They do not dominate; they accompany. At a certain point, the linear path bends gently to accommodate an existing tree. This moment is crucial. Rather than removing the tree, the architecture yields to it, reinforcing a hierarchy where nature takes precedence. As one passes close enough to touch the bark, the boundary between built and natural dissolves.

The architecture is no longer something you observe, it is something you inhabit physically and emotionally.

The entrance sequence intensifies the experience of protection. A series of stone steps descends into the earth, followed by a heavy steel door that marks a definitive threshold. The transition from exterior to interior is not abrupt but compressed, heightening awareness.

Inside, the atmosphere shifts dramatically. A concrete vault opens up, creating a space that feels both cavernous and intimate. The temperature drops, light becomes scarce, and sound is softened. The sensation is reminiscent of entering a cave, primitive, protective, and deeply grounding. This is where the metaphor of the bed sheet reaches its full expression. You are enclosed, yet not confined. Hidden, yet still connected to the world above.

Materiality as a Living Process

The material palette is deliberately restrained: concrete, wood, stone, and steel. However, these materials are not treated as static finishes. They are selected for their capacity to evolve over time.

Concrete, often associated with permanence, is reinterpreted here as a form of “artificial rock.” It absorbs moisture, changes color, and gradually integrates with the surrounding forest. Steel oxidizes under rain, acquiring textures similar to tree bark. Wood introduces warmth through both touch and scent, balancing the coolness of the concrete interior. Even the flooring participates in this sensory dialogue, releasing subtle aromas that echo the surrounding pine landscape.

This approach aligns with the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, the beauty of impermanence and transformation. Nothing is fixed; everything is in a state of becoming.

Spatial Duality: Exposure and Retreat

The internal organization of the house reinforces its conceptual foundation. On one side, the living spaces open generously toward the wooded ravine. Large apertures frame expansive views, allowing light and landscape to penetrate deeply into the interior.

On the opposite side, the house turns inward. A more controlled courtyard offers filtered views of treetops and sky, creating a quieter, more introspective environment. This duality, between openness and containment, provides multiple ways of experiencing protection. It acknowledges that vulnerability is not eliminated through isolation, but through graduated exposure.

A Timeless Interior

One of the most striking aspects of the project is its deliberate absence of temporal markers. Appliances are concealed. Lighting is discreet. Decorative elements are nearly nonexistent. This intentional reduction removes any direct reference to a specific era, allowing the space to exist outside conventional timelines. The result is an environment that feels both ancient and contemporary, rooted in primal spatial qualities rather than stylistic trends.

In doing so, the architects create a house that resists obsolescence. It is not designed to impress in the present moment, but to endure quietly over time.

The Philosophy Behind the Work

The ethos of HW Studio is embedded in every aspect of the project. Their name itself reflects a conceptual duality:

- “H” as a silent letter in Spanish, symbolizing absence and stillness

- “W” referencing wabi-sabi, the acceptance of impermanence

Together, these ideas form a philosophy where architecture is understood as the act of placing limits within the void. Walls, paths, and volumes are not ends in themselves. They are tools for shaping experience, defining relationships between light and shadow, interior and exterior, presence and absence. In this sense, the house is not an object. It is a framework for perception.

In an era where architecture often seeks visibility—through iconic forms, technological displays, or visual excess, The Hill in Front of the Glen takes a radically different approach.

- It withdraws instead of asserting.
- It listens instead of declaring.
- It blends instead of standing out.

And yet, it leaves a lasting impression. By addressing fundamental human emotions, fear, solitude, comfort, the project resonates on a deeply personal level. It reminds us that architecture does not need to be loud to be powerful. Sometimes, the most meaningful spaces are those that allow us to feel small, protected, and connected at the same time.

technical sheet

architecture: HW studio >  https://www.hw-studio.comhttps://www.hw-studio.com

typology: private house, greenhouse 

lead architects: Rogelio Vallejo Bores and Oscar Didier Ascencio Castro.
team: Sergio Antonio Garcia Padilla, Jesus Alejandro Lopez Hernandez, Alberto Gallegos Negrete.
location: El vaquerito, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
completion year: 2021
gross built area (square meters or square foot): 250 mts 2

construction company: ARGA Constructora
budget: 350,000 USD

photo credits: 

rainy mood pictures: Cesar Bejar (c) www.cesarbejarstudio.com
sunny mood pictures: Dane Alonso  (c) www.danealonso.com
Video: Mavix. Hugo Tirso Dominguez (c) A video that you can see just below 👇

source: v2com