- Project: House Nizuc 01
- Architect: W E W I
- Location: Mexico, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo
- Year: 2019
- Area: 207 m2
- Photography: César Béjar
A Modern Tropical Haven in Puerto Morelos
On the lush Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo, House Nizuc 01 by WEWI Studio reinvents tropical minimalism through measured geometry, intuitive climate response, and a dialogue between interior calm and coastal openness. Built on a corner lot in Puerto Morelos, this 207 m² residence transforms spatial limitations into expressive design opportunities—merging form, light, and material in perfect equilibrium.
The project captures the essence of contemporary Mexican architecture: timeless simplicity, environmental intelligence, and an atmosphere of understated luxury.
Concept – Reversing the Conventional Home
At its core, House Nizuc 01 questions how we live within tropical density. Instead of placing the garden at the back, WEWI Studio reversed the conventional suburban scheme: the garden now faces a public green park, turning the house outward toward landscape instead of inward toward walls.
Parking and services were shifted to the rear, allowing the living spaces to fully embrace natural light, cross-ventilation, and open views. This inversion not only enhances privacy but also establishes a direct, experiential link between the house and the tropical environment.
From the outside, the structure appears as a pure white monolith, composed of intersecting planes and carved voids. Yet this simplicity conceals a spatial richness inside—an architecture of volumes, heights, and constantly shifting light.
Spatial Composition – Volume and Flow
The plan of House Nizuc 01 unfolds as a rhythmic sequence. Entry is deliberately compressed—a narrow vestibule that opens suddenly into a double-height living space flooded with daylight. This moment of release defines the home’s identity: compact yet grand, minimal yet immersive.
Two intersecting double heights create an internal diagonal of space, generating visual connection between the upper and lower floors while drawing sunlight deep into the plan. The house’s diagonal axis strengthens perspective and frames the lush garden view at every step.
Functional zoning follows a clear logic:
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Ground Floor: social spaces—living room, dining, kitchen—connected to the front terrace and pool.
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Upper Level: private quarters and terraces overlooking the park.
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Rear Core: vertical circulation, bathrooms, and utilities, placed for shading and acoustic isolation.
Every line and proportion serves one idea: openness with restraint.
Materials & Atmosphere – Serenity in Simplicity
The home’s serene character stems from a reduced yet tactile palette. The exterior walls are rendered in smooth white stucco, reflecting sunlight while maintaining thermal comfort. Inside, light wood joinery and natural stone introduce warmth, contrasting subtly with the pure envelope.
Local finishes such as chukum (a natural Mayan stucco made with tree resin and limestone) add soft texture to bathrooms and the pool area, allowing the architecture to feel rooted in place. The visual harmony between white planes, pale wood, and neutral stone creates an almost monastic calm—one that complements the tropical vibrancy outside rather than competing with it.
Climate Response & Environmental Strategy
Puerto Morelos’ coastal climate is hot, humid, and sun-intense. WEWI Studio’s design mitigates this with orientation and passive cooling rather than mechanical dependence.
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East-West zoning positions services and thick walls toward the afternoon sun, shielding the interior from heat gain.
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Cross-ventilation is achieved through operable openings aligned along the garden axis.
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Deep overhangs and cantilevered slabs temper direct light while maintaining transparency.
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Vegetation around the pool and terrace acts as a living buffer, enhancing comfort and privacy.
The house breathes with the environment—it doesn’t resist it. Every breeze, reflection, and shade becomes part of the architecture’s sensory experience.
Living Experience – Light, Shadow, and Stillness
Inside House Nizuc 01, the atmosphere is tranquil and immersive. Morning light glances across the travertine floors; by afternoon, the carved terraces filter warm, diffused sunlight through wooden louvers. At dusk, the home glows softly from within—a quiet lantern set against tropical foliage.
The interplay between volume and void, between light and structure, gives the home a sculptural quality reminiscent of Mexican modernists—echoing the restraint of Barragán but reinterpreted for a humid coastal climate.
Architecture as Lifestyle
Beyond its geometry, House Nizuc 01 reflects a contemporary lifestyle centered on openness, adaptability, and authenticity. The house prioritizes connection—between family, nature, and light. Every element, from window framing to material selection, contributes to an atmosphere of contemplative ease.
This is not a home of excess; it is a space of balance, where architecture becomes a frame for daily rituals—coffee at sunrise, shade at noon, a swim at sunset.
Significance in Contemporary Mexican Architecture
WEWI Studio’s work demonstrates how design discipline can elevate modest residential commissions into architectural statements. House Nizuc 01 stands as:
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A case study in tropical passive design, integrating sunlight, airflow, and material tactility.
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A refined reinterpretation of minimalism, adapted to the vibrancy of coastal Mexico.
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A model for climate-responsive architecture that merges comfort, economy, and beauty.
It’s a home that whispers—never shouts—yet leaves a lasting impression of precision and peace.
House Nizuc 01 by WEWI Studio encapsulates the essence of thoughtful design in Mexico’s Caribbean region. With its compact footprint, inverted plan, and delicate modulation of space and light, it transforms simplicity into depth.
Every surface, every void, and every shaft of light works in harmony with the tropical setting—reminding us that great architecture doesn’t need to dominate nature; it needs to dwell within it.
