Family House Features An Exposed Metal Structure Which Doubles As Its Facade

This is a single-family home located in Ciudad de México. It was designed by studio JJRR/Arquitectura and the reason we find it so special is right there, in front of your eyes.

At the rear of the house the exposed metal structure becomes a focal point, contrasting with the surroundings
At the rear of the house the exposed metal structure becomes a focal point, contrasting with the surroundings

The house has a metal structure which is also its facade, no coating added. This gives it an industrial vibe and also suggests a rather unconventional design strategy which is later emphasized by the fact that the house has very few structural walls. This allows to look and feel very open, ensuring seamless transitions between spaces and a very harmonious ambiance throughout the building.

The social spaces are seamlessly connected to the gardens and large openings and an overall lack of partitions ensure a smooth transition
The social spaces are seamlessly connected to the gardens and large openings and an overall lack of partitions ensure a smooth transition
The interior and exterior spaces are intertwined and there's always transparency between them
The interior and exterior spaces are intertwined and there’s always transparency between them
This is one of the numerous outdoor areas which function as seamless extensions of the indoor spaces
This is one of the numerous outdoor areas which function as seamless extensions of the indoor spaces
The views may not be extraordinary from every room of the house but the overall design still makes the most of them
The views may not be extraordinary from every room of the house but the overall design still makes the most of them
The fact that the metal structure is actually the facade of the house is definite unusual and gives this building a lot of character
The fact that the metal structure is actually the facade of the house is definite unusual and gives this building a lot of character
Even though the interior spaces are very open they still look and feel very warm and welcoming
Even though the interior spaces are very open they still look and feel very warm and welcoming

At the same time, the interior spaces are seamlessly linked to the outdoor areas and there’s a very cool and natural mix of interior and exterior functions throughout the house. Another interesting and also surprising fact about this structure is that it has four level in total, two of which are situated below the sidewalk level. The first floor is a parking area and also contains some service spaces.

The primary materials used throughout the house include steel, woood and glass
The primary materials used throughout the house include steel, woood and glass
Each of the four levels has a very specific function and that makes the house very efficient and user-friendly
Each of the four levels has a very specific function and that makes the house very efficient and user-friendly

The second floor is where all the social areas are located and the third one houses the private functions of the house. The fourth floor is a music studio. We should also mention the numerous outdoor areas which blend into the design in a very natural manner. This adds up to 1200 square meters of space in total.