- Project: Gómez House
- Architect: Jorge Garibay Arquitectos
- Location: Mexico, Querétaro,
- Year: 2021
- Area: 380 m2
- Photography: César Belio
A Quiet Geometry in the Heart of Querétaro
Gómez House by Jorge Garibay Arquitectos is a refined example of minimalist modernism adapted to the Mexican climate.
Sited within the growing urban fabric of Querétaro, this residence balances privacy, light, and spatial elegance. Rather than dramatic gestures, Gómez House thrives in subtlety—its clean lines, serene volumes, and careful detailing all contribute to an architecture that feels both restrained and deeply alive.
Concept & Volumetric Strategy
The guiding concept for Gómez House is one of modulation and restraint.
The design unfolds as a series of interlocking rectangular volumes, each shifted modestly in plan and elevation to create interplay among solids and voids. The geometry is disciplined but responsive: small cantilevers, recesses, and connection volumes establish layered spatial flows.
A central spine connects the key programmatic zones, from entry through living spaces to private areas. The double-height living room forms the axial heart, distributing daylight and visual continuity across levels. Circulation walks between solids and voids, height changes, and incremental shifts in geometric relationships define the architectural character.
Site, Orientation & Environmental Control
The lot in Querétaro offered orientation constraints and neighboring buildings, which became catalysts rather than limits.
Public-facing façades are more closed and introverted, while interior-facing façades open up, framing garden courtyards and bringing in natural light.
Terraces and overhangs are layered to shade facades from direct sun, especially during high summer months. The positioning of windows, screens, and courtyards was calibrated to maximize cross ventilation and internal airflow.
By nesting outdoor terraces within the composition, the architecture invites nature inward while maintaining a sense of retreat from adjacent urban context.
Materials, Light & Spatial Ambience
The material palette is restrained yet rich: board-formed concrete, warm-toned wood, glass, and steel form the core elements. Each is used judiciously to enforce the architecture’s minimal logic while adding tactile warmth.
Concrete walls anchor the structure and provide thermal mass. Wooden ceilings, lattices, and furniture details inject softness and richness. Large glazed openings and sliding panels dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, while strategically placed screens filter daylight and offer privacy.
Light is choreographed throughout. In the mornings, east-facing windows admit gentle illumination; by midday, overhangs and recesses modulate glare; in evenings, interior lighting sculpts depth and warmth. The architecture speaks through shadows, transitions, and the intangible movement of daylight.
Interior Experience & Flow
Entering Gómez House, one moves from enclosed arrival zones into volumes that progressively expand. The living-dining area boasts a double-height space that connects visually to upper-level walkways and terraces. This space becomes the spatial fulcrum, anchoring both horizontal and vertical circulation.
Bedrooms and private zones are located at the more secluded ends of the plan, accessed through gently lit corridors or balcony walkways. Views of internal courtyards, planted voids, and shifting volumes keep the experience intimate yet dynamic.
Furniture and finishes follow the architectural discipline: minimal geometry, natural tones, and tactile surfaces, ensuring that the interiors complement rather than compete with the structural essence.
Passive Strategies & Sustainability
Gómez House achieves environmental performance through its architectural intelligence rather than overt systems:
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Deep roof overhangs and recessed window planes limit direct solar gain.
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Thermal mass of concrete helps stabilize indoor temperature swings.
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Natural ventilation is enhanced through cross-flow planning and operable facades.
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Locally sourced materials reduce embodied energy and root the house in regional character.
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The layout concentrates social areas toward garden courtyards, optimizing daylighting while shielding private spaces.
These strategies are integrated into the design logic—sustainability as structure, not afterthought.
A Modern Mexican Residence of Quiet Force
Gómez House proves that architecture need not shout to be powerful. Through geometric restraint, material clarity, and environmental sensitivity, Jorge Garibay Arquitectos has fashioned a home that feels simultaneously intimate and architectural.
With its precise volumes, nuanced light control, and seamless interior-exterior dialogue, Gómez House stands as a testament to contemporary Mexican residential architecture that values calm, clarity, and context.
