Miami-based firm Magaldi Studio builds Casa Madri, a Mexican villa that draws inspiration from numerous design
influences across the globe, while an ancient Mayan technique literally holds it all together.

The 557-square meter Casa Madri, located in a gated community in the Yucatan Peninsula, is the quintessential tropic home. The curved monolithic design, along with the elevated sections of the house, allows air to flow freely throughout the interior, while wooden screens minimize natural light and heat. The interior is kept simple: “The sense of openness and minimalism achieved in this home seems to result from a cross-cultural synthesis of Japanese simplicity, European theoretical analysis and Mexican regionalism paired with a deep understanding of a unique client,” the studio notes.

The exterior walls are made of concrete mixed with chukum, an ancient Mayan building material made up of limestone-based stucco mixed with tree sap. This technique makes the walls highly water-resistant, adding more protection against the harsh rains of the tropical climate and keeping the two-storey structure more resilient and long-lasting – an important quality for this tropical family home. Visit the studio’s website and Instagram for more.

See more architectural projects from Mexico from our archives.

Photography © Edmund Sumner for Magaldi Studio