ROOF ARQUITECTOS | A FOREST HOUSE

Roof Arquitectos  designed Casa MK1 in Morelia, Mexico as a residence with a growing forest of sweet gum trees. 

Thirteen oak trees are planted in a courtyard at the centre of this residence by Roof Arquitectos, which sits in the hilly landscape outside the Mexican city of Morelia. Roof founders Rogelio Vallejo and Francisco Noriega took the unusual starting point of landscaping first and building later.

 The trees are integrated into the house's concrete foundation slab and distributed along three of its facades. Rectangular voids are cut in the slab above, which is supported by slender white columns, allow sunlight to filter through to ground level and also provide space for the trees to mature and grow tall.

Since the residence was open to the adjacent park and public space, the architects designed the density of the trees based on the level of transparency they wanted to achieve.