s-ar carves weekend retreat from concrete and stone
Located on the outskirts of Monterrey, in the colonial town of Villa de Santiago, Casa en Santiago by S-AR reinterprets the regional rural building language through a monolithic concrete structure wrapped in local stone. Conceived as a weekend residence within the mountainous landscape of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the house uses patios, terraces, and views to connect interior and terrain.
The house is formed primarily by reinforced concrete elements. Walls, corbels, floors, and roof merge into a single structural and material system. The finish reveals different explorations in the execution of concrete, allowing textures and subtle variations to register across surfaces. Only one metallic column interrupts the otherwise rocky, monolithic mass, marking a structural inflection and subtly recalling the steel embedded within the concrete frame.
As daylight shifts, shadows move across lines, grids, planes, stone, wood, steel, and ceramics.
all images courtesy of S-AR
a house between mountain and town in mexico
Villa de Santiago sits 37 kilometers from Monterrey and is a gateway to rivers, waterfalls, and forests that attract visitors for canyoning, climbing, and trekking. The site, positioned with direct views toward the nearby mountains, continues a local tradition of cottages and weekend homes embedded in nature, and the house extends the rural typology of thick stone walls and muted facades. From the street, a large stone wall shields the private areas while the whole facade remains mostly closed, allowing only the doors to punctuate the surface. Built with local stone, Villa de Santiago echoes the enduring walls of adobe and masonry that still define the area.
Behind this protective exterior, the Mexico City- and Monterrey-based architects at S-AR organize space around a generous central patio. A metallic lattice enclosure separates the private from the social areas while maintaining visual continuity toward the courtyard. The public program opens toward the garden through a covered terrace that extends daily life outdoors. This shaded platform becomes the social heart of the house, complemented by a pool and grill area that support weekend gatherings.
Casa en Santiago by S-AR reinterprets the regional rural building language
spatial axis and ascent toward the landscape
Internally, the plan is divided by a service nucleus that acts as an axis between public and private domains. Glass partitions and open patios dissolve strict boundaries, generating layered transparencies. Spaces expand and contract through controlled openings, framing fragments of sky, vegetation, and distant mountains.
Circulation is articulated through a spiral staircase and a ramp that ascend from different points of the house toward the roof terrace. This upper platform becomes the culminating spatial moment. From here, the nearby mountains dominate the horizon, encouraging pause and observation. The ascent reinforces a continuous movement between interior and exterior, house and landscape, and user and surroundings.
the house is formed primarily by reinforced concrete elements
the finish reveals different explorations in the execution of concrete
a monolithic concrete structure wrapped in local stone
textures and subtle variations to register across surfaces
walls, corbels, floors, and roof merge into a single structural and material system
spaces expand and contract through controlled openings
glass partitions and open patios dissolve strict boundaries
a timber island contrasts with exposed concrete ceilings and dark cabinetry
dining and living areas unfold beneath a textured concrete slab
a corridor lined with wooden slats and white storage panels filters light toward a rear opening
project info:
name: Casa en Santiago
architects: S-AR | @stacionarq
location: Villa de Santiago, Mexico
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edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom
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