What lets concrete express itself beyond its strictness in architecture? Think of Louis I Kahn’s sincere monuments in concrete, the exquisitely proportional details in Carlo Scarpa’s stereotomic forms, or the pastel-spirited, prose-filled volumes of Luis Barragán. What unlocks the versatility and dimensionality of this severe grey material?

Refusing to fit into concrete’s 'conventional boundaries,' Casa HMZ by Mexican architect Lucio Muniain resonates as a response with its symphony of light and shadows congruent with tranquil spaces revealing themselves patiently—one of the foremost features describing this generous two-storey private residence is its concrete materiality informing its pleasingly geometric being infused with visible echoes of Scarpa, Kahn and Barragán. But how does its materiality cut through its predictability?

The residential design nestled within the scenic landscapes of a golf course in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, dedicates itself to an architecture of sensorial delights, of inner lives coloured through imperceptibly discovered spaces. The built comes alive as it integrates seamlessly with natural elements, effectively, in its discourse with natural light. The wealth of the HMZ House by Lucio Muniain et al. lies in its “harmonious fusion of dramatic aesthetics, serene ambience and the dance of light within its architectural design,” as the architect iterates.

A dance of light to the slow rhythm of concrete

Muniain shares with STIR how the most captivating facets of the HMZ House were not initially outlined in the clients’ programme—Sandra, a mother of four and Memo, an engineer with a construction materials factory (who passed away last December) desired a home made of concrete. “That was the only goal,” he tells us. The project’s concept, thus, took shape from this very absence of requirements and the sole purpose of utilising concrete, breathing life into many spaces that indulge in “a game of light,” according to Muniain. “We explored many ways to introduce natural light into the house to create a liveable sculpture,” he continues.

A weighty yet dimensional exterior gives way to explorable insides through intentional interactions with light—the Mexican architecture unveils itself through a charming narrative of 'mystery and exploration,' delightfully contrasting its strict and brutalist demeanour. Muniain devised pathways that elevate the journey between typical domestic spaces into light-filled, immersive experiences. A back-and-forth between heights, proportions, narrowness, distances, shadows and sunlight assume pivotal roles inside the residential architecture, "sculpting the storyline of this architectural gem," conveys the office based in Mexico City.

A 'habitable sculpture' that fuses volumes, spaces and light

The 800 sqm contemporary residence sits as a massive, solid 'concrete sculpture' with very few openings or windows which permit calculated amounts of sunlight, giving the residential interiors an almost artisanal quality. Amid the vast concrete expanse, few volumes protrude while some recede slightly beneath, creating niches preventing a flat elevation's banality. The sturdy main front door presents itself as a warm contradiction, the only element built of wood.

Through this gate one enters a corridor that steps up a few feet into the contemporary architecture, towards the home's first vestibule: from here, access to three spaces open up—the double-height library which boasts a total view of the patio designed at a 'human' scale, holding vistas of the golf course; the main vestibule which leads to the second-floor housing all the private rooms accessed by spiral staircases; or towards the expansive public space hosting the kitchen, the visitors’ bathroom, the master bedroom as well as the living and dining room on the ground floor.

The patio also houses some of the spaces which were not formerly on the clients’ list of needs but ended up rendering the house’s program. “They have all sorts of beams and light entrances and [are] certainly the spaces where you can feel the texture and ‘gloom’ of the house—spaces that are forced to be visited by their users daily and were not on the original idea,” Muniain shares with STIR. These newer spaces, almost rhythmic, make the meandering experiences of the concrete architecture more vibrant and ‘discoverable.’

The interior design features a restrained use of Tzalam wood and travertine marble for the flooring, black steel and glass accents, as well as aluminium for the windows, as subtle textural details and controlled colours that relieve the grey strictness of the exposed concrete. Despite the scant number of perforations, the home enjoys airy, interconnected areas perfumed by sunlight filtered through the placed beams and pergolas, the strategic openings aiding in the absorbing play of illumination and shadows.

Muniain cites this pivotal interplay framed by the raw concrete that is meticulously finished to embrace natural light, and its kinship with cast shadows spelling the understated luxury of spaces, as the core of Casa HMZ, which utterly devotes itself to its concrete materiality. Yet, he does not consider describing it as 'brutalist' in this regard fully suitable—"Brutalist is a difficult word," he deliberates. "Although the house is made, how the features of brutalism come in, the influence of its location and its epoch [could be] mistaken. Now you use concrete because it is a material you desire and technology has led us to manufacture it well and quickly. It is now some sort of fashion maybe. Although, this house has all the spirit and the power to be considered Brutalist,” he adds.

Muniain believes the home's beauty was succinctly enhanced by the imperfections and 'magic' relayed by its all-concrete form, one of the project's challenges, as the spaces were not predetermined. “The basic challenge was to not care much about the look and feel of the concrete finishings, as the project grew. I think having that in mind, since the beginning of it, gives the needed relief to tolerate whatever comes,” Muniain shares.

With each endeavour, Lucio Muniain et al. tasks themselves to tilt their designs to be more sculptural and less architectural, blurring boundaries between the liberty of art and the strict functionality that architecture mandates. "Architecture is a service that resolves a client’s needs. Sculpture is related more to aesthetics. The combination of both, leaning much more towards sculpture than architecture, is what this project gained,” he continues.

Muniain believes that most architects like him are hybrids of every architecture that is interesting to them, "and this house proves it. Here you can see a good mixture of Carlo Scarpa, Luis Barragán, Le Corbusier, Louis I. Kahn, Alberto Campo Baeza and so many others that have influenced me over time. Plus, it is very important to create any sort of art, and in this case, it is through architecture, to be in love with it. Which I am,” he says.

Project Details

Name: Casa HMZ (HMZ House)
Location: San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Area: 800 sqm
Year of completion: 2023
Architect: Lucio Muniain et al
Design team: Lucio Muniain, Juan Carlos García, Gustavo Morales, Michel Hernández, Ignacio Balvanera, José Luis Arroyo
Contractor: Juan Carlos García, Michel Hernández, Gustavo Morales
Structure engineer: José Alfredo Blanco