Mexican architecture firm Espacio 18 has made the most of a narrow site in Puebla, by incorporating a bright internal courtyard and a rooftop patio into a dark-rendered residence.
这座三层住宅的使用面积为2680平方英尺（约249平方米），一楼有一个主要的生活区，二楼为3间卧室。该住宅由当地Espacio 18建筑事务所和Cueto建筑事务所联合设计，Juan Pablo Fernandez Cueto为该项目的负责人。
Casa Once spans 2,680 square feet (249 square metres) across three floors, with a main living area on its ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs. The house was a collaboration project between local firms Espacio 18 Arquitectura and Cueto Arquitectura, led by Juan Pablo Fernandez Cueto.
"Casa Once was designed to suit a young couple who were looking for a refuge that would take them away from the outer chaos and create a space of tranquillity," said Espacio 18.
The home has a rectangular floor plan, taking up all of the buildable area and leaving no yard space. To create outdoor areas, the top floor has a patio overlooking the city, while a protected courtyard on the ground floor introduces greenery inside.
"The house is located in a single family complex in the city of Puebla, where the real-estate sector has grown dramatically," said Espacio 18. "The price of land has increased as a result of this boom, so the properties are [getting] smaller and more exclusive."
住宅的一层为客厅、餐厅和厨房，通向二楼的黑色金属楼梯上铺着木板，透着一股现代工业的气息。
Upon entering is a sitting room, dining area and kitchen. A black metal staircase leads upstairs with timber boards, adding a contemporary industrial feel.
在庭院内种植植物是墨西哥和拉丁美洲的传统。例如Santoscreativos和Miguel Valverde在瓜达拉哈拉（Guadalajara）设计的一栋灰色的两层住宅，以及AS/D Asociación de Diseño设计的种着仙人掌树的红色粘土砖房。
An acacia tree is planted in the centre of the internal courtyard, and changes to a bright purple in the spring, adding the only pop of colour to the pared-back interiors. The internal garden comprises a decked patio surrounded by double-height glazed walls and one textured surface painted white.
Planted courtyards are common in residences across Mexico and Latin America, with other recently completed examples including a grey two-storey home in Guadalajara by Santoscreativos and Miguel Valverde, and a clay brick house arranged around a cactus tree by AS/D Asociación de Diseño.
The top floor of Casa Once provides more space for entertaining, with a media room and an outdoor patio that boasts panoramic views of the city and its volcanoes.
Nature and cross-ventilation play a prominent role in the design of the home, in keeping with the area's warm and temperate climate. The home's exterior is covered in natural wood around the bottom and black stucco at the top, with minimal windows facing the street to create privacy, as well as controlling daytime heat.
Inside, engineered-wood floors and timber beams provide texture and warmth to the otherwise white, contemporary interiors. Tiles in the bathrooms are designed by Oaxaca-based artist Francisco Toledo.
Photography is by Lorena Darquea.
