Hidden Away
“The Hill in Front of the Glen”
Morelia, Mexico
Created by HW Studio
(Completed 2021)
How can one feel protected? What can be done when one feels vulnerable? This question was accompanied by an image, or perhaps a memory: a frightened child covering himself with a light bed sheet as he peeks out to make sure he can see what is going on around him.
Pulling a bed sheet over ourselves is a very elemental act that alludes to the most basic part of the self; a bed sheet hides, protects, wraps, and creates a space beneath it that is so safe and intimate as to keep away any spirit, ghost, or demon that may be surrounding the room.
- HW Studio
Home is a place where you feel safe and protected. Although I sleep with a duvet rather than a light bed sheet, I still, to this day, tuck each side of the duvet in under me so I am as snug as a bug. I like feeling cocooned and protected while I sleep. I suppose I also feel the same about both the idea of home and (surprise surprise) my clothing. I like the sense of comfort that comes with that feeling of security.
This family home in Morelia, Mexico, designed by HW Studio, is an enchanting meditation on security, solitude and nature. Partially embedded into the ground (living the hobbit dream!), the home is built and furnished from four primary materials: concrete, wood, steel, and stone. Concrete was chosen due to the way it ages and interacts with nature, slowly becoming part of the surrounding forest as its hue changes and moss encroaches. Wood was used to reference the pine trees in the area and provide a sense of warmth against the concrete. Steel develops a patina with the rainfall, slowly mimicking the texture of tree bark. While stone provides a sense of stability and natural warmth.
The four materials all carry with them a sense of weight and stability that I think works wonderfully with the idea behind the home. The sweeping curves of the building, emerging softly from the ground, give it a sense of organic presence and permanence without it being jarring against the inevitable transience of nature which surrounds it on all sides. Indeed, it seems to me the perfect location for contemplation, and the design of the home seems to encourage a monastic one.
There was an intriguing choice to create a pathway that essentially encourages people to walk in single file, with a tree placed such that it blocks the view of the front door. Privacy and solitude reign supreme, and I love that idea for a home. The social areas of the house face the woods and are open to the world, while the bedrooms and private areas face the courtyard with the trees visible above the concrete. I like this idea of separation, and the use of full length glass walls on both sides means it never gets too dark, although it still manages to encourage shadows and shade.
I find myself yearning for solitude more and more these days - the city can be too much.
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