Casa Terral by P11 Arquitectos reimagines the bond between architecture and nature with profound sensitivity

Designed by the studio P11 Arquitectos, the house reinterprets the relationship between architecture and nature through a deeply sensitive lens: that of the home as a porous body, one that allows the breeze to flow through, welcoming life into its core.

From the entrance, the house retreats into the depth of the plot, giving way to a garden brimming with vegetation, a vegetal welcome that is not merely decorative, but part of an ethic: to preserve the natural environment of Yucatán.

The façade, composed of four distinct volumes, becomes a narrative in itself. A horizontal base of aluminium slats marks the entrance and supports a volume of stone quarried from the very site, a literal memory of place. Above it, a solid mass coated in chukum and kankab, the red earth of the peninsula, lends warmth and texture to every corner, extending its identity across the whole.

But perhaps the most emblematic feature of Casa Terral is its sculptural lattice, handcrafted in concrete with fragments of recycled glass. More than an enclosure, this piece becomes a symbol: a language that merges tradition and modernity, matter and light. Echoing this material presence, the interior staircases are clad in the same finish, creating a visual continuity reminiscent of time-worn stone.

The house is structured in a sequence of linear volumes connected by a central courtyard, where a majestic poplar tree organizes the space. The rooms, arranged around this green heart, open through large glass panes that dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, between architecture and garden, nurturing a lifestyle in constant dialogue with nature. This bond is reinforced by relocating existing trees and planting 17 new endemic species, a determined gesture to re-green the land.

A gentle play of levels between the vestibule and the living-dining area softens the intrusion of outside noise and envelops the visitor in a tranquil atmosphere. To the side, the service areas and kitchen, seamlessly connected to the social zones, shape a fluid circulation that culminates in a panoramic window framing the rear patio landscape. On the upper floor, the bedrooms are oriented toward the vegetation, ensuring privacy without severing their visual connection to the surroundings.

A playroom and adaptable spaces, set across intermediate levels, enrich the vertical circulation of the home and encourage family interaction. Far from anecdotal, these spatial strategies emphasize the project’s core intention: to foster connection. Between people, nature, tradition, and material.

Casa Terral is more than a dwelling, it is a built manifesto. A work that breathes with the wind, that gazes at its roots without nostalgia, and that projects a new way of inhabiting the present, from the earth upwards.

Project: Casa Terral.

Location: Temozón norte, Mérida, Yucatán (México).
Architecture: P11 Arquitectos.
Architect: Arturo Carrillo Ponce.
Completion: 2024
Built area: 400 m².
Photography: Eduardo Calvo Santisbón.

Arturo Carrillo Ponce

Arturo Carrillo Ponce (1979) was born and raised in Mérida, Yucatán (Mexico), where his sensitive gaze and deep commitment to regional identity have shaped an architecture with soul. He studied Architecture at the Universidad Marista de Mérida, where he laid the foundation for a design philosophy that blends tradition and modernity. After several years working in various architectural studios, he founded his own practice, P11 Arquitectos, in 2005—a creative laboratory where territory, climate and memory converge in projects that engage in an open dialogue with their surroundings.

From his earliest works, Carrillo Ponce has explored the expressive potential of local materials—such as chukum and regional stone—turning them into poetic protagonists of the inhabited space. His architecture not only responds to the local climate—marked by intense summers and northern breezes—but embraces it as a vital part of the sensory experience of body and landscape.

He has participated in various events such as the IX Biennial of Chiapas Architecture (2015), the International Architecture Colloquium at Universidad De La Salle Bajío in León, Guanajuato, the National Congress of Architecture Students CNEA + ENC (2022) in Cancún, Quintana Roo, the XIV Architecture Sessions (2022) in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, the EIT Architecture and Design 2023 hosted by Tecnológico de Monterrey in Hermosillo, Sonora, and the Festival Provincia 2024 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. He has also taught architecture at the Universidad Marista de Mérida.

Source: P11 Arquitectos.

Project by Arturo Carrillo. P11 Arquitectos