Casa Camila / Dionne Arquitectos

Architects: Dionne Arquitectos
Area: 591.26 m²
Year: 2022
Photography: César Cervantes
Architects Team: Francisco Baxin, Erick Valle, Brenda Rueda
Contractor: DIAM Construction
Interior Design: Dionne Interior Design
Materials: Ceramic floors by Interceramic and Cesantoni; wooden deck by MV; marble by Mármoles Puente; pasta floor by La Fabriquita; tiles by Azulejos Anzique, Finishes Tlapaltotoli, traditional Mexican tile; clay tile roof by Macere
City: Puebla
Country: Mexico

Casa Camila is a residential project conceived as a weekend retreat for a family of five, located within an expansive natural setting in Puebla, Mexico. Designed by Dionne Arquitectos, the house is organized as a horizontal composition divided into three primary components: a guardhouse, the main country house, and an independent bungalow or loft. This dispersed arrangement allows the architectural program to adapt to the scale of the site while reinforcing a strong relationship with the surrounding landscape. The central volume functions as the social and functional core, encouraging fluid movement between interior and exterior spaces. Orientation plays a critical role in the project, with all principal spaces aligned to capture views toward the Iztaccíhuatl volcano. Material choices balance durability, local craftsmanship, and visual restraint, while integrated environmental systems address water management, energy generation, and long-term sustainability. Together, these strategies establish Casa Camila as a contemporary rural dwelling grounded in its geographic and environmental context.

Rather than presenting the house as a single, compact object, Dionne Arquitectos approached Casa Camila as a small architectural ensemble distributed across the land. This decision responds directly to the site’s vast scale and topography, allowing each built component to maintain autonomy while remaining visually and spatially connected. The horizontal deployment emphasizes movement through the property, turning circulation into an experiential sequence where architecture and landscape unfold simultaneously.

Set on a plot exceeding ten thousand square meters near the foothills of the Iztaccíhuatl volcano, the project engages its surroundings through openness and careful orientation. Long-distance views toward the volcano are deliberately framed from every interior space, establishing it as a constant presence within daily life. Because of its isolated position on the site, all façades are treated as primary, each articulated through distinct geometries, materials, and proportions that invite exploration around the building’s perimeter.

Access to the house is organized along a linear axis that structures the entire project. This circulation route separates public and private areas while guiding visitors through the architectural sequence. The axis culminates in a large window that frames the volcano, paired with a reflective water element that visually extends the landscape into the interior. This moment reinforces the project’s emphasis on axial views and controlled visual connections.

Social activity is concentrated on the terrace, conceived as the most active and flexible space within the house. Designed with a privileged outlook toward the landscape, it integrates a living area, dining space, outdoor kitchen with wood-fired oven and grill, and a jacuzzi. The terrace acts as a mediator between interior and exterior life, encouraging prolonged outdoor use and collective interaction among inhabitants and guests.

Interior spaces are characterized by furniture largely fabricated on site and integrated into the architecture itself. This strategy enhances visual cohesion while minimizing maintenance requirements, an important consideration for a house primarily occupied on weekends. In response to its rural context, Casa Camila incorporates rainwater collection, wastewater treatment, solar heaters, photovoltaic energy, and a jaguey. These systems reduce environmental impact while aligning contemporary residential comfort with responsible resource management and local ecological conditions.