Architecture Wednesday: El Mirador ... The Looker

After last week’s huge, sleek farmhouse, I thought we’d head south for something a little more rustic, a little smaller, a little different.

El Mirador is located on the 234 acre El Eterno estate in Valle de Bravo—a forested municipality that wraps one corner of Lake Avándaro—about an hour-and-a-half southwest of Mexico City. That’s the south; now for the different.

The house is partially embedded in a slope overlooking the valley, and on top of it, crafted from railway sleeper cars is a car barn, or, better still, a horse barn. The architects designed the house so that its living areas are  below the level of the road that passes out front, making only the horse barn visible from the road. That’s the different, now for the smaller.

It's a 1500-square-foot one bedroom, two bathroom very open home that feels larger because of the openness of one side and the views beyond.

A large living room, with two seating areas and two fireplaces, occupies the center of the homey, with wide glass doors that open onto a terrace. Stone seats and tables are built into this patio area, which is fronted by a glass balustrade that permits unobstructed views of the valley. The living room is flanked by a bedroom and en-suite bathroom on one side, and a kitchen and second bathroom on the other. A large slate island stands in the middle of the kitchen and serves as both a dining table and a workspace. A large display case shows off old leather-bound suitcases and books, alongside crockery and specimen belljars.

It's rustic; it’s different; it’s small. It’s very cool.

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