Eric Guzmán Arquitectos: Arrayán house is a project designed for a young family of four members, seeking a private and warm refuge with a very clear focus: to carefully control the views toward the outside.
Located in a gated community in the upper area of Morelia, Michoacán, the house takes advantage of its site to capture privileged views of the city and its sunsets. The design emphasizes a restrained use of materials, prioritizing those that convey warmth in the social spaces and privacy in the intimate areas.
Developed on a regular lot measuring 12 meters wide by 16 meters deep, with a descending slope of 4 meters and a north-facing facade orientation, the project proposes a strategy based on large south-facing windows that allow abundant natural light to enter and create a warm atmosphere inside. The circulation’s backbone is a straight staircase that organizes the layout of the entire house, becoming a key element that articulates the spaces.
On the exterior, the house features a sober and closed facade, inviting a gradual discovery of its interiors, protecting privacy, and deliberately controlling the views from inside out. The main entrance is at the ground floor level, where an Arrayán tree acts as a visual anchor, visible from a lower level in a double-height space. On this same floor, an open-concept social area integrates the living room, dining room, and kitchen into a single space, promoting daily family interaction. Also on this level, there is an office with large windows that provide excellent natural lighting.
The staircase, as a protagonist and articulator of the project, is conceived as a light and slender line: a minimalist iron railing accompanies its route, while the steps, clad in engineered wood, maintain continuity with the flooring material to reinforce spatial unity. The decision to keep the same staircase block on all levels allows, upon reaching the roof garden, to conclude the journey with a powerful visual experience: the city of Morelia unfolds before the user as they ascend, closing the architectural walk with a memorable image.
