Completed in 2023 by Taller David Dana, Casa Madre stands on the urban outskirts of Mexico City. This single-family home integrates with its sloping terrain, developing an architectural structure that responds to its surroundings and modifies the landscape.
Casa Madre Technical Information
- Architects1-2: Taller David Dana
- Location: Mexico City, Mexico
- Topics: Mexican Houses
- Built Area: 1,870 m2
- Completion Year: 2023
- Photographs: © César Béjar, © César Belio
The main access is through the upper floor, which is considered the heart of the project as it houses the public areas and communicates to the rest of the residence.
– Taller David Dana Architects
Casa Madre Photographs
A Harmonious Interplay of Architecture and Landscape
Text by the Architects
Located in a quiet but urban area in Mexico City’s west limits, Casa Madre is a single-family residence that carves the sloping terrain with staggered concrete volumes. The project emerges from the site and is surrounded by local trees and neighbors’ constructions, creating a light contrast between the greenery and the gray palette from the façade.
This five-story dwelling is designed in a downward layout, creating a set of terraces and cantilevers that responds to the site’s topography. From the higher street, the house registers as a single-floor residence where the rooftop appears to be merged with the landscape; but from the lower level, the whole five-level can be sighted by the guests.
The main access is through the upper floor, which is considered the heart of the project as it houses the public areas and communicates to the rest of the residence. Inside, an open-plan living and dining room features double-height ceilings combined with concrete and wood beams. Behind these spaces, the kitchen area stands out by a large dark-marble island and a glass display cabinet.
In front, large and rotating windows open to the terrace, creating an interior-exterior relationship and framing the views toward the surroundings and the city’s skyline. Outside, the user can walk around the downward path to the other levels, surrounded by the landscape design and the architecture.
From the exterior, the residence has a brutalist but refined character, with exposed concrete as the main material, used by its structural properties and versatility. For the inner walls, a micro-cement render was used to soften the rough texture of the concrete, combined with wood elements and travertine floors that together configure a cozy and warmed atmosphere to embrace the user.
Downstairs, the private spaces contain the family room, the children’s bedrooms, and the master bedroom. This common area integrates a floor-to-ceiling bookcase and a large window opening to an interior patio covered with lush vegetation. This level is decorated with bespoke furniture, combined with art curatorship and decoration, standing out by a wooden desk and a dark-marble circle.
On the bottom, the amenities are configured beneath the cantilever structure of the master bedroom and contemplate a bar, a terrace, a dining room, and a swimming pool. This level provides a meeting space between the guest apartment and the rest of the house.
Casa Madre Plans
Casa Madre Image Gallery
About Taller David Dana
Taller David Dana Arquitectura (TDDA) is a Mexico City-based design firm committed to crafting high-quality spaces. Their design philosophy revolves around the creative interplay of materiality, form, and structure. With a passion for design acting as their main drive, TDDA deploys innovative ideas across a wide array of sectors. The firm seeks to bring a fresh, dynamic approach to each project, striving to elevate architecture and design to new heights.
Notes & Additional Credits
- Lead architect: David Dana Cohen
- Curatorship: Ronit Stein, Asociación Arquitectura
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