On the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, near Punta Zicatela, Gap__Studio is developing a set of six villas that reinterpret the relationship between architecture and landscape. The project integrates with its tropical surroundings, positioning architecture as a mediating element rather than a dominant force. Through the repetition of modules, the careful arrangement of circulation, and the interplay of light and shadow, the villas establish a dialogue with the environment that is both rigorous in its geometry and sensitive to its context.
NAVIS 236: Six Villas in Puerto Escondido Technical Information
- Architects1-5: Gap__Studio
- Location: Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Gross Area: 250 m2 | 2,690 Sq. Ft.
- Project Design Year: 2025
- Photographs / Renders: Gap__Studio
With NAVIS 236 we sought to create an architecture that exists in balance with the coastal landscape. The villas are conceived as a rhythm of spaces where geometry, vegetation, and light are not separate elements but parts of the same continuum. Each dwelling is both a shelter and a frame for the experience of the Pacific horizon
– Gap__Studio Architects
NAVIS 236 Photographs
NAVIS 236 Design Intent
The project’s conceptual foundation lies in its response to the site. The six villas are not conceived as isolated objects but as a sequence of spatial rhythms that align with the terrain. Each unit is organized vertically, unified by a cylindrical stair tower and framed openings that create a sense of order and continuity across the ensemble.
The program is structured around three clearly defined layers. The ground floor operates as a communal domain, porous and open to the surrounding vegetation. The first floor contains private bedrooms, while the roof terraces function as elevated retreats overlooking the ocean. This vertical distribution creates a hierarchy of experiences: grounded connection to nature, sheltered intimacy, and expansive contemplation.
Spatial Qualities
The villas are defined by a vertical progression through space. At the ground level, living areas extend outward into terraces and gardens, erasing the threshold between interior and exterior. These spaces are conceived as fluid, allowing vegetation, light, and airflow to penetrate the architecture.
The first floor introduces a more introverted character. Bedrooms are shaded by wooden lattice screens that balance privacy with permeability. These porous façades generate shifting patterns of light and shadow, while maintaining natural ventilation and reducing reliance on mechanical cooling systems.
At the roof level, private terraces and pools open toward the horizon. Sloped concrete walls create an enclosure from neighboring villas while preserving framed ocean views. The result is a sequence of spaces that alternate between openness and protection, allowing occupants to engage with the tropical climate in diverse ways.
Materiality
Material decisions reinforce the project’s integration with the environment. Exposed concrete forms the structural and spatial backbone of the villas, its earthy tones resonating with the surrounding landscape. The use of concrete is both practical, given the tropical conditions, and symbolic, lending a sense of permanence to the architecture.
Wooden lattice panels provide a contrasting tactile layer. Their modular design allows for ventilation and filtered light, while their texture introduces a warmer material presence within the predominantly concrete framework. These lattices recall traditional craft while operating within a modern geometric order.
Vegetation is treated as a material element in its own right. Planters and roof gardens extend the building into the landscape, blurring the line between natural growth and built form. The interiors continue this dialogue with built-in concrete furniture, softened by textiles and natural finishes. The palette is restrained but layered, reinforcing continuity between interior, exterior, and landscape.
Contextual Significance
NAVIS 236 embodies a climatic and cultural responsiveness that situates it within a broader discourse of contemporary Mexican coastal architecture. Passive design strategies, including cross-ventilation, shading devices, and the thermal mass of concrete, are embedded in the form itself rather than applied as external technologies.
The repetition of six modules creates a collective identity while allowing each villa to retain its individuality. This approach underscores the role of rhythm and modularity in unifying multi-unit housing projects without sacrificing spatial richness.
More broadly, the project can be read as a reflection on architecture’s mediating role. It negotiates between seclusion and openness, between the intimacy of private retreats and the expansiveness of panoramic landscapes. By integrating rigorous geometric order with the sensorial qualities of light, shadow, and material tactility, the project demonstrates how architecture can simultaneously ground itself in context and open itself to the horizon.
NAVIS 236 Plans
NAVIS 236 Image Gallery
About Gap__Studio
Gap__Studio is an interdisciplinary architectural practice founded in May 2023 by Alberto Ponce Hungler and Rodolfo García de Alba, both alumni of Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City. The studio spans scales from urban design to furniture, driven by a rigorously iterative methodology and a belief that “the best idea always wins,” regardless of its source. Ponce brings a sculptural sensibility informed by experience with graphic, textile, and ironwork design, while García de Alba contributes a strategic, research-driven approach shaped by editorial and architectural roles.
Credits and Additional Notes
Total Units: 6 Villas
Status: Under Construction
- Program: Multi-level residential villas with communal areas, bedrooms, rooftop terraces, and private pools
Levels: 3 (Ground floor, first floor, roof terrace)
Design Team: Alberto Ponce Hungler, Rodolfo García de Alba
