A Circular Ring Connected to the Surrounding Nature in All Directions
A ring-shaped mass lies low across a secluded site. Anchored by a central courtyard, the building turns in all directions, actively engaging its surroundings. By day, it draws in the mountainous landscape; by night, it turns inward, forming a more introspective spatial atmosphere. House 720 Degrees, located outside Valle de Bravo in Mexico, establishes its relationship with the landscape in this way.
Completed in 2024, the house occupies a site of approximately 8,200m² in La Reserva Peñitas, with a total floor area of 1,115m². Its geometry extends the conventional 360-degree field of vision, recalling a sundial that registers the passage of time through changing light and shadow. Alongside the circular main house are two detached volumes: a studio/guest room and an auxiliary building containing bedrooms and service spaces. This separation accommodates two families and visitors while following the site’s topography and preserving existing vegetation. The house is organized across a ground floor and an open roof terrace. Within the circular plan, rectangular bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen are arranged, while a continuous circulation path runs along the perimeter, extending into terraces facing the courtyard and gardens opening outward. Flexible openings, including large folding windows, connect the interior and exterior.
In a climate marked by temperature swings of up to 30°C within a single day and frequent rainfall, the building adopts both shelter and openness. The mass spreads low across the terrain, and the concrete mixed with local soil allows it to blend naturally with its surroundings. The durable materials weather over time, further integrating the house into the landscape. At its center, the circular courtyard acts as a spatial and visual core, linking the interior spaces. Along its edge, linear, curved, and radial circulation systems coexist. The interior is composed primarily of local materials such as oak and stone, with furniture and lighting produced on site. All spaces are designed for natural cross-ventilation, opening in multiple directions to regulate daylight and privacy. The house also collects rainwater and generates its own electricity through solar panels as part of an off-grid system. Bedrooms are heated by a hydronic radiant floor system, while solar energy provides hot water throughout the house.
The circular geometry produces a dwelling that balances openness and stability. As architecture, landscape, and the passage of time unfold together, the house takes on the color of the land, changing with the seasons and breathing with its environment.
Project: House 720 Degrees / Location: La Reserva Peñitas, State of Mexico, Mexico / Architect: Fernanda Canales / Project team: Aarón Jassiel, Alberto García Valladares, Ángela Vizcarra / Interior decoration: Camilla Pallares / Structural engineer: Gerson Huerta_Grupo Sai / Sanitary and electrical installations: Carlos Medina – Grupo MEB / Carpentry: Óscar Nieto / Landscape architect: Lucas Salas / General contractor: Felipe Nieto / Use: house / Bldg. area: 1,115m² / Gross floor area: 8,000m² / Completion: 2024 / Photograph: ©Rafael Gamo (courtesy of the architect); ©Camila Cossio (courtesy of the architect)
