Thisispaper Community
Join today.
Enter your email address to receive the latest news on emerging art, design, lifestyle and tech from Thisispaper, delivered straight to your inbox.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Instant access to new channels
The top stories curated daily
Weekly roundups of what's important
Weekly roundups of what's important
Original features and deep dives
Exclusive community features
@zaxarovcom
Jun 10, 2025

Casa Tobi, the latest residential project by Espacio 18, stands like a silent gesture etched into the coastal cliffs of Puerto Escondido in Mexico.

Rather than imposing itself on the landscape, the home yields—its stepped descent mirroring the gradient of the terrain, its material palette echoing the earth's dry rusts and muted sands. Drawing philosophical resonance from Sou Fujimoto’s vision of primitive architectural futures, Casa Tobi reinterprets tradition not through nostalgia but through quiet play, layering elemental forms and sensorial experiences in dialogue with the Oaxacan wild.

From the first step onto its upper terrace, one is enveloped by an elemental serenity. A reflecting pool greets visitors not only with aesthetic poise but with climatic function—cooling, mirroring, stilling. This water, both mirror and membrane, initiates the descent into the home’s lower levels, where volumes open and compress in an intentional choreography that recalls the intimacy of a cave and the openness of the horizon. Architecture here does not announce itself; it reveals.

As one moves through the space, architecture becomes a slow unveiling. The social core—study, dining, pool, fire pit—is carved into a one-and-a-half-story expanse, blurring thresholds between built form and vast surroundings. The panoramic drama of hills and sea is not a backdrop but an integral actor in daily ritual. The private quarters, by contrast, retreat to the lowest level, where intimacy is foregrounded and the canopy filters light into secrecy and calm.

The tactile narrative of Casa Tobi hinges on its raw, terrestrial expressiveness. Earth tones recall crab shells and oxidized stone, a crustacean mythology that anchors the home in both whimsy and geology. Water reappears in evocative gestures—a nod to the petrified falls of Hierve el Agua—linking domesticity with myth and topography. This is a home that does not frame views; it succumbs to them.

Interested in Showcasing Your Work?

If you would like to feature your works on Thisispaper, please visit our Submission page and sign up to Thisispaper+ to submit your work. Once your submission is approved, your work will be showcased to our global audience of 2 million art, architecture, and design professionals and enthusiasts.
No items found.
We love less
but there is more.
Become a Thisispaper+ member today to unlock full access to our magazine, advanced tools, and support our work.
We love less
but there is more.
Become a Thisispaper+ member today to unlock full access to our magazine, advanced tools, and support our work.
No items found.
@zaxarovcom
Jun 10, 2025

Casa Tobi, the latest residential project by Espacio 18, stands like a silent gesture etched into the coastal cliffs of Puerto Escondido in Mexico.

Rather than imposing itself on the landscape, the home yields—its stepped descent mirroring the gradient of the terrain, its material palette echoing the earth's dry rusts and muted sands. Drawing philosophical resonance from Sou Fujimoto’s vision of primitive architectural futures, Casa Tobi reinterprets tradition not through nostalgia but through quiet play, layering elemental forms and sensorial experiences in dialogue with the Oaxacan wild.

From the first step onto its upper terrace, one is enveloped by an elemental serenity. A reflecting pool greets visitors not only with aesthetic poise but with climatic function—cooling, mirroring, stilling. This water, both mirror and membrane, initiates the descent into the home’s lower levels, where volumes open and compress in an intentional choreography that recalls the intimacy of a cave and the openness of the horizon. Architecture here does not announce itself; it reveals.

As one moves through the space, architecture becomes a slow unveiling. The social core—study, dining, pool, fire pit—is carved into a one-and-a-half-story expanse, blurring thresholds between built form and vast surroundings. The panoramic drama of hills and sea is not a backdrop but an integral actor in daily ritual. The private quarters, by contrast, retreat to the lowest level, where intimacy is foregrounded and the canopy filters light into secrecy and calm.

The tactile narrative of Casa Tobi hinges on its raw, terrestrial expressiveness. Earth tones recall crab shells and oxidized stone, a crustacean mythology that anchors the home in both whimsy and geology. Water reappears in evocative gestures—a nod to the petrified falls of Hierve el Agua—linking domesticity with myth and topography. This is a home that does not frame views; it succumbs to them.

Interested in Showcasing Your Work?

If you would like to feature your works on Thisispaper, please visit our Submission page and subscribe to Thisispaper+. Once your submission is approved, your work will be showcased to our global audience of 2 million art, architecture, and design professionals and enthusiasts.
Thisispaper+
Casa Mexicana
30+ Projects
Web Access
Link to Maps
Celebrating homes that defy borders—between inside and out, past and present, earth and idea. Casa Mexicana is a vibrant dossier of domestic spaces where architecture becomes both shelter and statement.
Explore
Casa Mexicana

Join Thisispaper+
Become a Thisispaper+ member today to unlock full access to our magazine, submit your project and support our work.
Travel Guides
Immerse yourself in timeless destinations, hidden gems, and creative spaces—curated by humans, not algorithms.
Explore All Guides +
Curated Editions
Dive deeper into carefully curated editions, designed to feed your curiosity and foster exploration.
Off-the-Grid
Jutaku
Sacral Journey
minimum
The New Chair
Explore All Editions +
Submission Module
By submitting and publishing your work, you can expose your work to our global 2M audience.
Learn More+
Become a Thisispaper+ member today to unlock full access to our magazine, submit your project and support our work.
Join Thisispaper+Join Thisispaper+
€ 9 EUR
/month
Cancel anytime