A wondrous life path that meandered through Spain, France, New York and California, eventually wandered into a tiny town in Mexico. Having designed their home in San Francisco, we invited a young family to enjoy our vacation home in San Miguel de Allende. It was love at first sight and they soon asked us to find a piece of land and design a second home for them. What we found was a 10 by 10 meter urban lot at the end of a narrow pedestrian lane.
Dimensions guided every decision in fitting living, dining, kitchen, family, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, powder, as well as a courtyard, garden, terraces and balconies into a 33 foot cube, the perfect size for a jewel box. Curving arcs link each space to the outdoors, swept with shimmers of sunlight that change throughout the day. The triangular spiral stair spins movement up to the roof terrace for evening viewing of luminous sunsets behind myriad church towers and domes. Walls washed with naturally pigmented lime glow soft and warm under the sun light pouring through the skylight above the stairway.
Spaces borrow from each other, layering together in the illusion of a grander volume. Bi-folding doors sweep walls away in the comfortable climate and the 20 foot tall stone fountain water wall sends ripples of light and sound to complement the sounds of roosters, church bells and calls from wandering vendors. Black cantera stone floors are locally quarried and the chipped stone pattern in the courtyard tells the life path of the owners.
Windows, doors and railings are fabricated by the blacksmith, the flaming sculpture in the fireplace assembled by the plumber, the gridded entry door, cabinets and dining table that opens to seat ten fabricated by the carpenter in his open air taller. The craftsmen who built this home have worked with us for the last 15 years, men who bring a spiritual joy to their work that stays behind in the places they build, imbuing them with an aura of magic.
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