fabriKG: Big Rock

Located at 800 m above sea level, in front ot the Sea of Cortez, Big Rock is on top of the foothills of Laguna Hills at the East Cape in Baja California Peninsula.

The aim of this project was to embrace the site, the granite huge rocks and be part of them as main architectural element.

The design of the house was influenced by the inherent building in desert areas, concerns of environmental impact and cultural sensitivity, and careful observation of local materials, climate and landscape. The volumes are made of rammed earth, with bricks in the garage and patio. The project was conceived to be part of the environment with low impact and to be projected with solar passive design using the walls as main insulation factor and cross ventilation to cool the interiors. The core of the house is a courtyard that provides a micro weather condition cooling down the place with sea breeze flow and the use of lattices in the walls that allow this natural flow. Because of its remote location, the site is without electricity; stored solar energy is used to provide hot water and to charge solar lanterns.

Big Rock, Laguna Hills, East Cape, BCS, Mexico
Program: single-family house
Architects: fabriKG
Collaborators: Gonzalo Elizarraras, Marco Antonio Rico, Eduardo Manriquez, Arturo Ojeda, Luis Parra, Carlos Espino, Daniel Moyano, Rodrigo Ramos, Gina Mendoza
Interiors: Julieta Talamante / Villa Valentina
Furniture design: Juan Diego Perez / BC Design Studio
Lighting: fabriKG
Landscape design: fabriKG
Construction: Vimar Contactors
Consulting: Earthdwell
Solar design: Erwin Lapschies/EcoSmart
Area: 103 sqm
Completion: 2014