Silhouettes of paintbrushes and palette knives carved into a concrete medallion above an otherwise unassuming entry signal that you’ve arrived at artist Edna Pallares’s home and studio.

The 3,422-square-foot compound of white-painted brick volumes is a refuge among the dense, cobblestone streets of Mexico City’s Coyoacán neighborhood. The sun-soaked sculpture patio—where Edna’s dog, Mica, likes to greet guests—hints at the unique spatial sequence that defines the live/work residence, with three structures separated by internal patios and a narrow corridor that serves as a backbone.

“It started as such a simple idea of volumes and courtyards,” says architect Luis Beltran del Río, cofounder of local firm Vrtical with Andrew Sosa. “Then we started adding all these little things around the house—it’s full of surprises.”

The design prioritizes sunlight and opportunities for introspection—both essential, Edna says, to her sculpting practice, characterized by the use of raw materials like stone, wood, and clay.

Pivot doors open to the workshop, where a skylight in the back corner allows a cypress tree to grow through the roof. Concrete stairs lead to a lofted drawing studio with a sawtooth roof that alternates between concrete and glass, strategically filling the interior with both north and south light and allowing a jacaranda tree’s purple blooms to peek through the skylights.

“There’s confusion that the more expensive the design is, the more of a luxury it is. But expensive materials do not make the design.”
—Edna Pallares, resident

Back on the ground level, the book-lined corridor connects to the kitchen and dining area, which is flanked by sliding glass doors to the patios. With yet another patio on its back side, the corridor proceeds to the third volume, where a spiral staircase leads from the living area to a mezzanine-level bedroom and bath.

Inspired by Edna’s work, the architects opted for simple materials—glass, wood, concrete, and brick for texture. Some of Edna’s figurines are embedded in the walls and walkways—a suggestion the artist made during construction. “It was important—a little bit like with my sculptures—that the materials speak,” she says.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Vrtical / @vrticalmx

—

Head back to the March/April 2022 issue homepage