V Taller Completes 712.3 m2 Merida Residence with Chukum

Climate-Responsive Design in Yucatan

V Taller completed Casa Dragones in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, in 2023, a 712.3-square-meter residence designed to adapt to the region's hot and humid climate. The architectural approach integrates concrete arches, courtyards, and upper volumes finished in chukum, alongside native vegetation and water features.

This strategy aims to recalibrate domestic spaces for the specific environmental conditions and spatial traditions of the Yucatan Peninsula, emphasizing natural ventilation, shade, and a fluid connection between indoor and outdoor areas. The design manages light, air movement, and temperature through its porous structure rather than relying solely on sealed interior volumes.

Concrete Arches Define Ground-Level Porosity

The residence is anchored by a board-formed concrete plinth, distinguished by broad segmental arches that punctuate its apparent mass. These openings serve a functional purpose, dividing the ground floor into a sequence of shaded rooms, covered terraces, and garden-facing voids, rather than acting as purely decorative elements.

The concrete base establishes a clear horizontal datum across the site, with its perforations allowing the house to remain visually and climatically open. The arch geometry is used to regulate varying degrees of enclosure, framing views towards courtyards and the surrounding landscape from living and dining areas, and extending as freestanding garden walls at the perimeter.

The casting process is made visible through vertical plank grain and regularly spaced tie holes, giving the base a tactile and load-bearing character.

Chukum and Material Contrast

Upper volumes of Casa Dragones are clad in chukum, a Yucatecan lime-based render derived from the resin of the chukum tree. This material provides a warm, matte, and naturally water-resistant surface well-suited to humid conditions.

The design establishes a clear material contrast between the textured concrete structure at ground level and the smoother, sand-colored chukum walls above, with a sharp horizontal joint marking this transition.

Interior specifications complement these primary materials: pale limestone paving extends across indoor and outdoor spaces, dark timber is used for wall linings and ceilings, black metal frames windows, and linen curtains are set into concealed tracks within the arches. Timber introduces density and acoustic softness in deeper interior spaces, particularly in dining and family rooms.

Specification Insights for Tropical Asia

The material and design choices at Casa Dragones offer relevant insights for architects and developers working in Asia's tropical and subtropical regions. The use of chukum, a natural, humidity-resistant, and locally sourced finish, presents an alternative to conventional renders for projects in climates like Singapore, Malaysia, or Indonesia.

Specifiers can investigate similar regional, natural lime-based renders that offer comparable performance and aesthetic qualities.

Furthermore, the project's emphasis on integrated climate control—through concrete arches for shading, porous planning for cross-ventilation, and courtyards with water features—demonstrates effective strategies to reduce reliance on mechanical cooling.

This approach highlights the value of specifying materials and designs that inherently contribute to thermal comfort and energy efficiency in humid environments.