From its conception, the Casa Alpino project prioritized respect for the natural environment. Every detail of this residence embodies harmony with nature. Its solid walls, made of natural and laminated enclosure stone, blend with the landscape, while its floor-to-ceiling windows capture panoramic views of the surrounding forest. Inside, wood and natural materials create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that evokes the essence of the forest. This house is a testament to the profound respect for nature and offers a unique experience of peace and tranquility that makes one feel part of this magnificent forest setting.
Jajalpa, State of Mexico
Architecture: Genaro Herrera Audiovisual Production: Open Plan
/ _openplan_
Open Plan was created with the aim of showcasing unique and singular visions of design and architecture in Mexico.
Comments are disabled for this video.
What I wanted was for the house to look like a rock in the forest,
far from being the protagonist,
but to keep the context in which it is.
Hi, I'm Gennaro Herrera,
creator, designer and builder of Casa Alpínoz.
The building is located in Jajalpa,
near Mexico City, 15 minutes from Santa Fe.
It is a protected forest
and a very important part of the project
was to respect the context in which it is.
The first thing you see is a roundabout
with several pines that receive you.
Immediately there is the house,
what is the facade.
It is a truly solid facade,
covered with natural enclosure,
artisanally worked and artisanally placed.
I chose the enclosure in two presentations,
mainly natural and laminated,
because what nature gives is a special dignity,
it is a vegetation of the stone,
it is the real texture of what the stone is like
when it comes out of the mountain.
The laminated enclosure makes the volume look avant-garde,
it looks modern,
which is what makes the architecture and the volume of the house
look like a modern house.
When you enter the house,
you find the great living room,
where there is a chimney of natural enclosure,
which is of laminated stone,
with a steel plate,
a plate that serves precisely to generate heat,
remembering that we are in the forest
and it is a cold and humid environment at all times.
The house is really a great living room,
where there is the living room, the dining room, the kitchen.
It is comfortable because it is flexible,
because it really adapts to any need.
The idea was not to fall into the configured spaces
or to be delimited by walls,
but to create a completely open space
where you could feel the house as part of you at all times.
The main materials of this house,
of course, are the stone.
It is the main element of the whole construction.
Obviously, there is the wood.
The wood is what makes us feel the warmth,
the touch.
You can walk barefoot through the house
and it feels very nice,
even though it may be raining or simply cold.
From there it is made up of two rooms,
a main room and the room for the children,
with two bathrooms.
An important part of the location of the house
within the terrain
was precisely to not cut down a single tree.
So it is made up of three very special trees.
There are two eucalyptus and one yamel.
They are trees that are practically more than 150 years old.
I designed a terrace.
That terrace is what you enjoy the most about the house.
It is the most special space in the house.
There are some pines, some yamels of immense size,
the wind, listening to the wind,
really listening to the birds in the morning.
It is very pleasant to spend moments on the terrace.
The main satisfaction that the pine house leaves me
is to have been able to respect,
admire and contemplate the place where it is.
