In Morelia, Mexico, where volcanic landscapes meet colonial contours, Emma House designed by HW Studio emerges as a meditation on intimacy and atmosphere.
Neither showy nor reticent, this compact residence channels memory and cultural resonance into an architectural gesture that feels simultaneously grounded and transcendent.
The architects drew profound inspiration from a transformative visit to Eduardo Souto de Moura’s Paula Rego Museum in Cascais, Portugal, where light became a protective, serene presence. Translating this sensation into the domestic scale, Casa Emma thoughtfully orchestrates natural illumination to evoke tranquility. Light permeates gently, echoing the museum’s sense of calm, but diverges conceptually by exploring excavation rather than elevation.
Culturally resonant, Casa Emma channels inspiration from the Purépecha granary, or troje—a traditional form intimately connected to Emma herself. By carving an interior primarily in warm wood, the architects established continuity and quiet reverence toward this heritage, manifesting an elegant synthesis of past and present.
Spatial ingenuity is essential, given the compact 4x10 meter lot. An entrance corridor discreetly unfolds into an open-plan interior that fluidly integrates living, dining, and kitchen spaces without barriers, optimizing every square meter. A striking feature—a white floating volume containing bedroom and bath—softly contrasts the surrounding wooden textures, evoking an ethereal, cloud-like quality heightened by diffused illumination.
