Located in the ‘countryside of Mexico City’, Los Durmientes is designed to feel like it’s always been there. Architect Bernardo Chavez Peon describes the home as a ‘hidden gem’, enveloped by dense vegetation and hills characteristic of the region. “It’s peaceful and secluded,” Peon says. “When you look around, all you see is this vast open space surrounded by trees and clouds putting on a show between the two hills right in front of the house.”

The view is a primary element within each space, while local, natural materials such as stone and wood are utilised throughout. Peon maintains it was essential to use locally sourced materials to ensure the home was in harmony with its surroundings and to minimise the carbon footprint and costs associated with transporting materials. 

These natural details are integral to the experience of Los Durmientes and the sense of calm and connection woven into the home’s fabric. “By incorporating natural materials and textures such as linens, stone, and raw wood tones, being inside the house gives you the sensation of being in a forest,” the architect says. “It’s almost like just inhabiting the house counts as a form of ‘Shinrin-yoku,’ a Japanese term that I greatly admire, referring to a forest bath.”