Architecture

Rammed earth family home built for under $80K in Mexico

Rammed earth family home built for under $80K in Mexico
Santerra House is located in El Porvenir, in the center of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's popular wine region
Santerra House is located in El Porvenir, in the center of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's popular wine region
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Mexican architectural studio Parma Arquitectura has recently accomplished the ideal desert proof tiny home
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Mexican architectural studio Parma Arquitectura has recently accomplished the ideal desert proof tiny home

The weekend home boasts a rammed earth and burnt timber shell, resembling the soft shades of sandstone and the surrounding landscape
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The weekend home boasts a rammed earth and burnt timber shell, resembling the soft shades of sandstone and the surrounding landscape

Stepping inside the home, the dwelling features a comfortable shared living and dinning room
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Stepping inside the home, the dwelling features a comfortable shared living and dinning room
The home boasts a minimal kitchen with a central concrete bar
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The home boasts a minimal kitchen with a central concrete bar

Warm earth tones in the bathroom
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Warm earth tones in the bathroom
One of the two single bedrooms
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One of the two single bedrooms
Master bedroom surrounded by the earth rammed walls
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Master bedroom surrounded by the earth rammed walls
The Santerra House was built as a weekend home and can accommodate a family of four, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms
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The Santerra House was built as a weekend home and can accommodate a family of four, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Santerra House is located in El Porvenir, in the center of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's popular wine region
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Santerra House is located in El Porvenir, in the center of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's popular wine region
The charred timber featured in facade was burnt by hand with a torch, adopting the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique
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The charred timber featured in facade was burnt by hand with a torch, adopting the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique
The home features a large outdoor terrace, serving as an extension to the interior living zones
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The home features a large outdoor terrace, serving as an extension to the interior living zones
The pergola that lets in the sun's rays during the winter but casts shade during the summer
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The pergola that lets in the sun's rays during the winter but casts shade during the summer

Santerra House floorplan by Parma Arquitectura
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Santerra House floorplan by Parma Arquitectura
View gallery - 13 images

Mexican architectural studio Parma Arquitectura has recently created the ideal desert-proof tiny home, named Santerra House. Located in the center of Mexico's Valle de Guadalupe wine region, the weekend home boasts a rammed earth and burnt timber shell, resembling the soft shades of sandstone and the surrounding landscape.

"Earth was chosen as the main material in response to the local warm and dry climate," lead architect German Parma told New Atlas. "It requires a small amount of water compared to other earth systems."

Rammed earth was selected not only for its low water consumption, but also because it offers excellent thermal mass and shelter from high external temperatures, while also combating humidity. It took a team of five builders close to a year to complete the construction, with a large part of the earth being sourced directly from the site after excavations. The team created 40-cm (15.75-inch)-thick rammed earth walls to complete the home, providing an ideal thermal envelope to maintain comfortable interior temperatures all year round.

The weekend home boasts a rammed earth and burnt timber shell, resembling the soft shades of sandstone and the surrounding landscape
The weekend home boasts a rammed earth and burnt timber shell, resembling the soft shades of sandstone and the surrounding landscape

To complement its highly efficient structure, the home features concrete foundations and flooring, timber decking and shading, and metal-cased reinforced glazed windows. The charred timber featured in the facade was burnt by hand with a torch, adopting the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique which provides added durability while creating a rustic aesthetic.

"Weather is important to us and the entire design of the project is designed to provide thermal comfort to the inhabitants of the house, materials and orientation of spaces and window," explained Parma.

Santerra House was built as a weekend home and can accommodate a family of four, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Stepping inside, the dwelling features a comfortable shared living and dining room, which adjoins the minimal kitchen via a central concrete bar. The home features a large outdoor terrace, serving as an extension to the interior living zones, while also connecting directly with the master bedroom. The south-facing outdoor terrace provides an ideal setting for outdoor entertaining, with overhead timber beams for shade, and the home's walls providing protection from strong winds.

The home boasts a minimal kitchen with a central concrete bar
The home boasts a minimal kitchen with a central concrete bar

"What I like most is the terrace that is surrounded by the house to protect it from the prevailing winds," said Parma. "The house is small, so this space is important, it has a pergola that lets in the sun's rays during the winter but casts shade during the summer."

Santerra House cost an impressive US$75,000 to complete.

Source: Parma Arquitectura

View gallery - 13 images
8 comments
8 comments
christopher
$75k for the materials and fittings etc, Studio Parma Arquitectura, and five builders for a year... methinks someone is looking at the wrong page on the invoice here...
Colt12
That is very expensive for building in Mexico.
Username
Was going to write what Christopher did.
Expanded Viewpoint
Why no photos of the process of ramming the dirt?? Is it top secret for some reason? The end product looks great, but how was it made? How was the wiring and plumbing in the walls done? How much earthquake and other forces of Nature can it endure?
fluke meter
"Santerra House cost an impressive US$75,000 to complete." ya- this is super deceptive - 5 people for a year - even if paying only $15 an hour cash - that's $156k.
So really what this cost ~ $300k to build? I mean since we can buy stick homes probably new for $400k including land - this is not looking too impressive I guess.
It is a cool looking build though IMO .
Parma architecture
We appreciate the publication of the project. Regarding the cost, it is important to say that the 5 people were not always there during a year of work
Peter Ballard
To echo previous comment, this is New Atlas. What makes New Atlas different is that you explain the processes and system etc. Good topic but not enough detail. Thanks
Jinpa
What would a prefab insulated structure designed for a cold, wet climate like Pennsylvania cost? Also would need to know the cost of excavated, graded radon-prone clay/shale land with a max-allowed coverage of 10%.