Positioned between two avocado orchards and disconnected from local utilities, PPAA Architects saw this project as a chance to experiment and expand architectural bounds, rather than be limited by them. The design team and regional labourers turned Toronjos into a self-sufficient retreat guided entirely by preservation of its environment. PPAA partner and interior design project leader Michelle Katrib explains this “ultimately shaped the project’s footprint, construction logic, and its strong commitment to sustainability.”

The walls, ceilings, and floors all hold a piece of the surrounding landscape, through locally sourced timber beams and handmade bricks made from straw, left to dry in the sun. Externally, the staggered walls are finished using the leftover earth and dust from the adobe-making process. This resourcefulness dissolves rigid boundaries, allowing architecture and landscape to merge into one continuous environment.

Set across a single level and unfolding into three longitudinal sections, the home moves between shared spaces for gathering and quieter areas for solitude. Short walls and generous openings wrap the perimeter, welcoming cross ventilation and natural light, while inside is kept “intentionally simple”, Katrib says, “allowing light, shadow, and the landscape to take centre stage.”

An artificial lake was made to collect and store rainwater for the home and the surrounding fruit trees, “reinforcing the project’s relationship with water as a vital, visible resource,” Katrib notes. Paired with the locally sourced materials, Toronjos has a quiet generosity and a mindful simplicity, making the retreat what Katrib describes as ‘a refuge’ alongside the elements.