- Project: Mariana House
- Architect: LABarq
- Location: Mexico, Santiago de Querétaro
- Year: 2017
- Area: 710 m2
- Photography: Alejandra Urquiza
Mariana House / LABarq / Mexico
Mariana House by LABarq explores a calibrated relationship between enclosure and openness in a residential neighborhood of Santiago de Querétaro. Designed for a young family, the home balances transparency, material expression, and spatial order while addressing privacy within a dense urban fabric.
A Contemporary Family Residence Rooted in Light and Privacy
The project takes shape through two intersecting volumes that organize daily life around light, air, and movement. The architecture aims for serenity and spatial richness, adapting to climate and orientation while supporting the rhythms of family life.
Site and Spatial Composition
Set on a corner plot, the residence leverages its irregular geometry to establish a clear spatial hierarchy. Public and private areas are separated by two perpendicular axes: the first aligns the social areas—living, dining, kitchen—toward terraces and gardens via wide sliders; the second organizes private zones—bedrooms and intimate lounges—for acoustic comfort and privacy.
Circulation converges at a sculptural staircase that connects both levels, anchoring the interior. Double-height voids and pocket gardens reinforce vertical continuity and daylight.
Architectural Character and Material Strategy
The architecture stages a dialogue between mass and lightness. Toward the street, textured red concrete blocks ground the composition; plastered white planes and metal latticework add rhythm and depth. The garden façade opens with a protected glass curtain wall that filters sunlight while preserving views.
Inside, materials transition from cool stone and concrete to warm walnut and soft neutrals. A natural palette—sand, gray, wood—lets daylight become the defining element.
Light, Privacy, and Comfort
Recessed openings and overhangs temper solar exposure; interior patios introduce fresh air and cross-ventilation. The living and dining rooms act as the social core, bathed in filtered light and visually linked to the garden. Above, the master suite preserves privacy while maintaining a visual relationship with the lower level through skylights and interior voids.
At night, indirect lighting accentuates the façade’s textures, turning the house into a calm, glowing volume within the neighborhood.
Structure and Detailing
A reinforced-concrete structure provides durability and long-span flexibility, paired with a façade system that combines solid block walls and lightweight steel frames for efficient shading and wide openings. Minimal detailing and a disciplined palette underpin the project’s restrained elegance, from the stair to the custom cabinetry.
An Architecture of Balance
Mariana House / LABarq / Mexico demonstrates how contemporary architecture can harmonize structure, light, and intimacy without excess. Every decision—from orientation to material choice—serves daily living. The result is a house both grounded and transparent, robust yet delicate, proof that restraint can yield warmth, clarity, and lasting character.
