TAC's Casa Cieno merges architecture with Oaxacan landscape
A concrete residence with inward-focused courtyards and a vegetated roof in Puerto Escondido.
1Inward-focused spatial strategy
Rather than orienting toward the ocean, Casa Cieno turns inward around enclosed courtyards and a central pool. The 1,500 sqm property in El Vigía sector features a diagonally rotated main volume that creates green buffer patios along its perimeter. This layout establishes visual privacy from neighboring properties while maintaining a strong connection to the site's vegetation.
2Material response to climate
The architects selected exposed concrete and wood as primary materials for their ability to weather Oaxaca's coastal conditions gracefully. The material palette intentionally develops a patina over time, further integrating the structure with its environment. A circular roof opening above the pool tracks daylight movement, making time's passage physically visible within the home.
3Water as organizational element
The pool serves as the project's spatial and visual anchor, with paths crossing it to connect the two bedrooms. Social and private areas radiate from this central water feature, using the courtyard as transitional space between functions. This circulation pattern creates deliberate pauses and views throughout the daily movement within the house.
4Vegetated roof system
The green roof extends living space vertically while replacing vegetation displaced by the building's footprint. This planted surface provides natural insulation, contributes to passive climate control, and offers elevated views toward both sea and mountains. The roof's ecological function complements its architectural role in the overall design concept.
5Contextual boundary treatment
Perimeter green patios act as transitional zones between the residence and adjacent properties. These vegetated buffers filter views while maintaining privacy, allowing the architecture to engage with its surroundings on controlled terms. The diagonal siting of the main volume maximizes these edge conditions throughout the site.
6Sensory design elements
Architectural features like the circular skylight create changing light patterns that mark daily cycles. Material textures develop naturally over time, while water surfaces reflect both sky and structure. These elements combine to produce an environment where inhabitants remain attuned to natural rhythms and seasonal changes.
7Climate-responsive details
The design team specified materials and systems that passively regulate interior conditions. Exposed concrete's thermal mass moderates temperature swings, while the green roof provides insulation. Strategic openings facilitate cross ventilation, and the central pool contributes to evaporative cooling in Oaxaca's warm coastal climate.
8Architectural landscape integration
Casa Cieno demonstrates how contemporary architecture can establish reciprocal relationships with its site. The project replaces displaced vegetation vertically through its roof garden while using the building's form to create new outdoor spaces. This approach shows how designed environments can enhance rather than simply occupy their natural contexts.