Architecture

Mexican architects reinvent the classic Hobbit home

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Mexican architectural firm, HW Studio has recently accomplished a stunning contemporary concrete family home that disappears into the ground
HW Studio
Mexican architectural firm HW Studio has recently finished a stunning contemporary concrete family home that disappears into the ground
HW Studio
The home is like a concrete-walled vault
HW Studio
Located in Morelia, Mexico, The Hill in Front of the Glen reinvents the classic Hobbit home

HW Studio
Four concrete walls make up a raised path that leads to the entrance of the home
HW Studio
The Hill in Front of the Glen boasts a large modern interior that embodies sustainable design

HW Studio
Amid the spree of wild nature, the path offers protection from the physical elements

HW Studio
The Hill in Front of the Glen blends residential and landscape architecture
HW Studio
The Hill in Front of the Glen seamlessly vanishes into the natural landscape
HW Studio
Mexican architectural firm, HW Studio has recently accomplished a stunning contemporary concrete family home that disappears into the ground
HW Studio
Surrounded by the moss green landscape, the entrance dramatically cuts through a new hill that forms the home’s rooftop garden
HW Studio
The Hill in Front of the Glen is built using stone, wood, concrete, and steel
HW Studio
Shafts of concrete walls create a tunnel of natural light to filter through the interior spaces of the home
HW Studio
The home boasts surprisingly high ceilings, large open spaces, warm timber flooring, and dramatic floor-to-ceiling glass windows

HW Studio
The choice of materials is reflective of the natural elements and colors found in the Mexican mountainside and help blend the home within the surrounding gardens

HW Studio
The entrance path allows just a single person to walk through it at a time, creating a mindful and reflective passage for its occupants

HW Studio
The Hill in Front of the Glen disappears into the landscape

HW Studio
Hidden in the garden is an unassuming 250 sq m (2691 sq ft) family home
HW Studio
View gallery - 17 images

Mexican architectural firm HW Studio has recently finished a stunning contemporary concrete family home that disappears into the ground. Located in Morelia, Mexico, The Hill in Front of the Glen reinvents the classic Hobbit home, boasting a design that seamlessly vanishes into the natural landscape.

The Hill in Front of the Glen embodies sustainable design and is built using stone, wood, concrete, and steel. The choice of materials is reflective of the natural elements and colors found in the Mexican mountainside and help blend the home within the surrounding gardens. And since the home is built into the ground, it possesses excellent thermal mass, staying cool in the warmer months and warm in the colder periods.

“It was very important for the client to preserve the rough and primitive atmosphere of being in the mountains,” said HW Studio. “It was [also] important for us that you didn’t even notice the architecture.”

The marble color of the concrete walls provides a soft yet comforting essence to the building; projecting a feeling of being protected from the uncertainties of the outside world. The burnt-chestnut tone of the wooden floors creates a sensory element that, paired against the coldness of cement, allows for warmth. And the steel casing around the windows creates a sense of extra protection from the elements.

The choice of materials is reflective of the natural elements and colors found in the Mexican mountainside and help blend the home within the surrounding gardens

HW Studio

“Concrete was chosen as the main material due to a dream about this new rock melting while inevitably interacting with the forest,” revealed HW Studio. “The flooring emphasizes an aroma of wood that is perceived when surrounded by pine trees, providing balance to the cold temperature of the concrete… [and] steel that, with time and rainfall, acquires an appearance like tree bark.”

Four concrete walls make up a raised path that leads to the entrance of the home, which presents itself like a vaulted concrete shelter. Surrounded by the moss green landscape, the entrance dramatically cuts through a new hill that doubles as the home’s garden roof. Amid the spree of wild nature, the path offers protection from the physical elements and the width of the path allows just a single person to walk through it at a time, creating a mindful and reflective passage for its occupants.

The entrance path allows just a single person to walk through it at a time, creating a mindful and reflective passage for its occupants

HW Studio

The home boasts an unassuming 250 sq m (2691 sq ft) minimalist floorplan, featuring surprisingly high ceilings, large open spaces, warm timber flooring, dramatic floor-to-ceiling glass windows and unpolished concrete throughout. The bedrooms and bathrooms have been built toward the back of the home, allowing the communal zones such as the kitchen, living and dining spaces to take center stage.

The occupants of the home enjoy stunning views of the surrounding landscape from almost every aspect of the home, while shafts of concrete walls create a tunnel of natural light to filter through the interior spaces of the home.

The home boasts surprisingly high ceilings, large open spaces, warm timber flooring, and dramatic floor-to-ceiling glass windows

HW Studio

All of the home’s electrical elements and appliances have been purposefully hidden from sight, creating an escape from the technologically-driven world. The lighting is also arranged so as not to attract attention and, at the request of the client, there is no television or internet installed so that the home can truly become an authentic refuge away from urban living.

“The inspiration behind this project is derived from carefully listening to the subtle murmurs and whispers of environments, as well as the client's search for protection and shelter,” said the studio.

Source: HW Studio

View gallery - 17 images
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14 comments
Ornery Johnson
I bet that tree in the path causes regrets on move-in day!
paul314
Deliveries are going to be interesting, and handicapped access appears to be right out. But it looks like a nice plaything.
Username
A house is not invented, it's designed. That single person entry passage will provide much more frustration than it will serenity.
EH
Nice, but I wish they had used the local version of Catalan formless vaulting, which uses the adhesion of the mortar to hold the bricks on while building. It's an interesting technique, search for "Impressively skilled bricklayers, Vault construction." video, which has over 24M views. The texture and color of the brick would fit the beautiful setting better than concrete, and plastered vaults with indirect lights are always uplifting.
Eddy
Lots of fun getting the furniture in, guess it's all Ikea.
Eggbones
It might be to some people's tastes, but it certainly isn't to mine. I prefer to be connected to outside, not hidden from it.
Altronix
A nice mindful walk into the building is all well and good until it becomes time to have the large L-Shaped Settee delivered.
PB
It's absurd. It's really a man made cave with no internet or television ........ What's the point by retreating 50 years into the past?
The underground aspect is good for many reasons ........ it's a good way to deal with a sloping property, drainage flows downhill so I assume it has septic down the slope. It is temperature controlled during the hot and cold seasons. But concrete holds moisture, and while the concrete shell would be lined to protect from moisture, the concrete won't give up the moisture readily so leaching will eventuate. The colored concrete the article boasts about will oxidize and the color will fade. The design is so radical that resale will be difficult if the client ever decides to relocate.
Simple things like ventilation come to mind? Steam from a shower? Vent for the water heater? I don't see solar panels so is it electric off the grid? Vent for toilet stall aromas, otherwise the aroma would pervade the home. Starved of direct sunlight, will the occupants rely on Vitamin D supplements?
Fred Flintstone could enjoy this house ...... I doubt if others will.
Facebook User
Nothing new see this from 1985...https://www.chicagomag.com/real-estate/april-2020/hobbit-house
Nelson Hyde Chick
Not very functional, but interesting.