CASA MALONIC BY HW STUDIO: A MINIMALIST HOUSE BETWEEN JUNGLE AND OCEAN IN MEXICO

Located in Punta Garrobo, Zihuatanejo, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, Casa Malonic by HW Studio explores an architecture shaped by simplicity, light and contemplation. Completed in June 2026, the 497-square-metre residence sits within a landscape where tropical jungle meets the seemingly endless horizon of the ocean.

Rather than imposing itself on its surroundings, the project establishes a quiet dialogue with the site. The architecture is reduced to a few essential elements: a ground plane, a roof and a shadow. This approach draws inspiration from the enramada, a simple shelter designed to provide protection from the sun and rain while maintaining a direct connection with nature.
The material palette reinforces this relationship with the landscape. The colour and texture of the floor evoke beach sand, while the white walls reference the blossoms of the nine cacaloxochitl trees surrounding the house. Rather than imitating nature, the materials extend its sensory qualities into the architecture.

From the street, Casa Malonic appears as a restrained white volume, accompanied by a curved concrete wall that follows the road and preserves the privacy of the interior. Vegetation, stones and the natural topography reinforce this sense of retreat. The house reveals itself gradually, inviting visitors to discover it through movement rather than at a glance.
The path leads to a circular courtyard enclosed by white walls. Here, the sky, sunlight and treetops reappear, transforming the courtyard into a transition between shelter and landscape. The wall, initially conceived as a protective boundary, becomes a threshold that frames views and directs attention towards the surrounding nature.

The house is organised around this sequence of experiences: from the street to the refuge, from the refuge to the courtyard, and from the courtyard to the landscape. Enclosed spaces alternate with carefully positioned openings, allowing natural light and vegetation to become integral to the architectural experience.

This formal restraint reflects HW Studio’s broader approach to architecture, which explores the relationship between space, silence and inner peace. By favouring simplicity over excess, the studio seeks to create places that encourage contemplation and a more conscious connection with their surroundings.

With Casa Malonic, architecture neither seeks to dominate nature nor disappear entirely into it. Instead, it establishes a balance between mass and void, privacy and openness, material and light. The result is a house where the essentials are reduced to just a few elements: shelter, shade and the enduring presence of the horizon.

Project: Casa Malonic
Architecture Studio: HW Studio -  www.hw-studio.com
Location: Punta Garrobo, Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico
Completion: June 2026
Built Area: 497 m²

Lead Architect: Rogelio Vallejo Bores
Architects: Oscar Didier Ascencio Castro and Nik Zaret Cervantes Ordaz
Structural Engineering: ARGA Constructora
Construction Company: COMAQSO
Budget: USD 1,180,000

Photography: César Béjar (c)  www.cesarbejarstudio.com

Source / partner: v2com