Twelve years after the boutique’s first transformation in Cancún, the Louis Vuitton store presents a new facade that elevates its identity through the expressive possibilities of precast concrete. The design by MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona reinterprets the brand’s iconic flower motif as a sculpted relief that shifts constantly with the play of light and shadow, turning the exterior into a dynamic, sensorial surface. At the heart of the design is a single modular unit, carefully conceived to act both as a structural element and as a vessel for light. When repeated across the facade, this module generates a continuous and vibrant skin that merges precision with rhythm.

all images by Jaime Navarro

Light and Shadow Animate Sculpted Facade of Louis Vuitton store

The composition for Louis Vuitton Cancún boutique by studio MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona creates a strong collective identity while transcending the individuality of each component. The facade recalls the memory of the earlier wooden intervention while advancing into a new material language. More than a storefront, it is an architectural experience that demonstrates how concrete can embody both emotion and detail. By engaging visitors through texture, depth, and atmosphere, the design establishes the facade not only as an element of branding but also as a living presence in the urban fabric of Cancún.

Louis Vuitton Cancún presents a new precast concrete facade

the design reinterprets the brand’s iconic flower motif

sculpted reliefs shift with light and shadow across the surface

a single modular unit forms the basis of the composition

repetition generates a continuous, rhythmic skin

dynamic textures animate the boutique throughout the day

depth and shadow transform the surface into a sensory experience

rhythm and variation emerge from repetition of the unit

the boutique’s identity is expressed through modular form

project info:

name: Louis Vuitton at La Isla
architect: MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona | @_materia

location: Cancún, Mexico

photographer: Jaime Navarro | @jaimenavarrophotography

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Casa Tao by HW Studio stands in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as an architecture shaped by the coastal sun and shade. Rather than chase a postcard view, the concrete house faces a tree-lined courtyard, drawing in breezes and scents while filtering the intense Pacific sunlight. Its quiet stance responds to the climate as much as to the personal histories of its owners.

‘The project began with the silent memory of those who inhabit it,‘ the architects explain. Gustavo, who grew up in Puerto Vallarta, hoped for a house that promised coolness and retreat, recalling the modest home of his childhood where shade was essential. His wife, Cynthia, shared a fascination with Japanese design after a trip with their daughters.

The clients told the design team: ‘We’d like to feel as if we were living inside a Japanese museum,’ describing a place where time slows and silence is tangible. These experiences shaped every decision, giving Casa Tao a language of restraint and depth.

image © Hugo Tirso Domínguez

casa tao: a composition of simple geometries

HW Studio organized the plan of its Casa Tao as a composition of stacked forms. Bedrooms, garage, and service areas create a grounded base, while a light, double-height volume floats above with the social spaces. By lifting the living areas, the architects surrounded them with air and treetop views, capturing the ocean breeze without exposing the interiors to direct sunlight.

‘We wanted the presence of the plaza to be sensed without being overwhelmed by heat,’ the architects note. Instead of large panes of glass, angled openings frame glimpses of trees and sky, allowing the house to observe the neighborhood at a measured diagonal.

Inside, the bedrooms gather around a secluded patio where a curved wall and a single tree create a soft threshold. This arrangement encourages movement that is slow and deliberate. ‘Shade here is an emotional condition,’ the team continues, ‘a promise of calm and silent protection.’ The house turns inward yet remains permeable as breezes carry the fragrance of the sea through subtle apertures, and shafts of daylight slip across the walls.

image © Hugo Tirso Domínguez

hw studio takes cues from japanese design logic

Concrete forms Casa Tao’s structural core, chosen by HW Studio for its durability and tactile depth. Exposed surfaces absorb the coastal sun with a muted glow, while white finishes heighten the gentle contrast between shadow and light.

‘We wanted the material to settle light, not bounce it,’ HW Studio explains. Over time, the concrete will warm and soften to become a surface that records use and weather rather than resisting them. The combination of solid mass and delicate illumination gives the house a meditative stillness.

The architects hope to invited lingering throughout the home. Elevated patios become terraces for contemplation, where the scent of flowers mixes with the sound of leaves in the wind. Each space is an atmosphere for quiet observation. The team seeks to echo the reflections of 20th century Japanese author, Junichirō Tanizaki in his essay, In Praise of Shadows, where subtle light reveals depth and texture. HW Studio captures that spirit, allowing light and shade to guide the senses and slow the day. In this way, dwelling becomes a study in presence.

image © Hugo Tirso Domínguez

image © César Belio

image © César Belio

image © Gustavo Quiroz

image © Hugo Tirso Domínguez

image © César Belio

project info:

name: Casa Tao

architect: HW Studio | @hwstudioarq

location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

completion: 2025

photography: © Gustavo Quiroz, © Hugo Tirso Domínguez, © César Belio
video: Mavix (Hugo Tirso Domínguez)

lead architect: Rogelio Vallejo Bores
architects: Oscar Didier Ascencio Castro, Nik Zaret Cervantes Ordaz
team: Juan Pablo Camacho Ayala
structural engineering: ARGA Constructora
construction: COMAQSO

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At the fringe of Tulum’s rapidly evolving landscape, V Taller architecture firm redefines what a tourism development can be with Babel, an establishment shaped by the jungle, mythology, and climate resilience. Commissioned by a client with a clear vision of referencing the biblical Tower of Babel and classical arches, the project departs from superficial symbolism to offer a deeper, site-sensitive response. The result is a vertically composed complex of 59 units organized around an elliptical courtyard, where architecture and nature coalesce to form a living system that is both contemplative and adaptable to future climatic and economic shifts.

Internally, the design maintains a sense of calm through natural materials, tropical wood carpentry, clay vessels, and white linen textiles, reinforcing the artisanal and contextual sensitivity of the project.

all images by Spaces by Conie, unless stated otherwise

Babel draws from the hammam typology

Upon encountering a site already scarred by human intervention amidst an otherwise untouched jungle, Mexico City-based V Taller rethinks the role of built form. The studio opts for vertical circulation cores to minimize land use and regenerate native vegetation, supporting environmental restoration and commercial viability, and offering a hybrid hospitality-residential program that flexibly accommodates various types of stay, rhythms of life, and occupancy cycles.

At the center of the scheme stands the tower, set precisely at the geometric centroid of the eye-shaped plan. The cylindrical structure draws from the typology of the hammam, using filtered natural light and material tactility to create an atmosphere of introspection. Its design culminates in a triangular stargazing aperture, a symbolic gesture linking the earthbound structure to the cosmos.

the design maintains a sense of calm through natural materials | image by Albers Studio

light tunnels, thermal pools, and layered vegetation

Light, shadow, and tactility guide the user’s experience throughout the complex. Stairwells act as light tunnels; arched thresholds frame shifts in scale and perception; and layered tropical vegetation choreographs transitions between public and private spaces. A circular pool at the tower’s base mirrors the form of the central void and supports passive cooling, while vaulted ceilings, cross-ventilation, and bioclimatic strategies enhance thermal performance without reliance on rooftop mechanical systems.

the vertically composed complex of 59 units is organized around an elliptical courtyard | image by Albers Studio

architecture and nature coalesce to form a living system adaptable to future climatic shifts | image by Albers Studio

commissioned by a client with a clear vision of referencing the biblical Tower of Babel

the project departs from superficial symbolism to offer a deeper, site-sensitive response

V Taller architecture firm redefines what a tourism development can be with Babel | image by Daniel Villanueva

the studio opts for vertical circulation cores to minimize land use | image by Daniel Villanueva

supporting environmental restoration and commercial viability | image by Albers Studio

a hybrid hospitality-residential program that flexibly accommodates various types of stay | image by Albers Studio

filtered natural light and material tactility create an atmosphere of introspection | image by Albers Studio

the cylindrical structure draws from the typology of the hammam

a hybrid hospitality-residential program flexibly accommodates various types of stay

project info:

name: Babel
architect: V Taller | @vtaller

location: Tulum, Mexico
area: 6,176 square meters

construction: MAQTE Company (Alejandro Delgadillo) for the rough construction & Bramah Developments (Ricardo Ávila) for the complete project

interior design: Carlos and Pablo

lighting: Carlos and Pablo & V Taller

photography: Spaces by Conie | @spacesbyconie, Albers Studio | @alberstudio, Daniel Villanueva

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In Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe, Rojkind Arquitectos and Amasa Estudio introduce Pictograma, a circular winery designed to streamline wine production while reviving the region’s agricultural traditions. The 1,963-square-meter structure also produces olive oil, fragrances, lavender, and citrus. Its radial plan, inspired by the valley’s organic contours, arranges the entire production cycle, fermentation, bottling, barrel storage, and tasting rooms around a central courtyard, eliminating unnecessary circulation.

The building is shaped by twelve trapezoidal concrete walls and vaults, each separating and defining a specific function inside. This clear layout continues into the landscape design, which uses local plants, permeable brick paving, and a sloped facade built from soil taken from the site to connect the winery closely to its surroundings. At the center, the courtyard collects rainwater that runs off the vaults, directing it through channels in the walls so it can seep back into the ground.

all images by Edmund Sumner, unless stated otherwise

shaded porticos and brick vaults shape Pictograma

The design by Mexico City-based Rojkind Arquitectos and Amasa Estudio takes inspiration from 16th-century portico structures, using a shaded walkway around the building to encourage natural ventilation and cooling. The project combines traditional methods, such as building with brick vaults, with modern techniques like fiberglass and metal formwork. This mix creates concrete surfaces that feel rooted in historic Franciscan architecture while still appearing contemporary. The use of pigmented concrete also helps the building blend with the natural colors of the valley.

Beyond production, Pictograma integrates hospitality through its connection to the Banyan Tree hotel complex. The retreat offers panoramic views of the valley and continues the commitment to local, sustainable materials. The winery and hotel are designed to connect architectural innovation with the agricultural traditions and cultural context of Baja California.

Rojkind Arquitectos and AMASA Estudio introduce Pictograma in Mexico | image by Fernando Marroquin

a circular winery designed to revive the region’s agricultural traditions | image by Fernando Marroquin

its radial plan is inspired by the valley’s organic contours | image by Fernando Marroquin

the production cycle is arranged around a courtyard, eliminating unnecessary circulation.

the building is shaped by twelve trapezoidal concrete walls and vaults

the courtyard collects rainwater that runs off the vaults | image by Grupo UBK

separating and defining specific functions | image by Grupo UBK

the design draws from 16th-century portico structures | image by Fernando Marroquin

a shaded walkway encourages natural ventilation and cooling

concrete surfaces feel rooted in historic Franciscan architecture | image by Fernando Marroquin

pigmented concrete also helps the building blend with the natural colors of the valley

Pictograma integrates hospitality through its connection to the Banyan Tree hotel complex

designed to streamline wine production

designed to connect architectural innovation with the agricultural traditions | image by Grupo UBK

project info:

name: Pictograma

architect: Rojkind Arquitectos | @rojkindarquitectos, Amasa Estudio | @amasa__estudio

location: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, México

area: 1,963 square meters

lead architects: Michel Rojkind, Agustín Pereyra, Andrea López

team: Ruth Diaz, Eli Ambris, Victor Cruz, Daniel Flores, Ricardo Hernández, Yoshio Fukumori, Fernando Franco, Victoria Grossi

AMASA Estudio team: Roxana León, Omar Valdés, Jorge Santiago, Sonia Santaella, Fernanda Corona, Karen Alcaráz, Diana Gómez Matehuala, Fernanda Rodriguez

landscape design: Alma du Solier

oenologist: Lucas Dacosta

branding + concept: Cadena y Asociados | @cadenaconcepts

interior design: SMARQ | @smarq.mx

structural engineering: Ing. Juan Felipe Heredia

lighting: Luz en Arquitectura

MEP: Ing. Germán Muñóz

renders: Hossein Yadollahpour

photographers: Edmund Sumner | @edmundsumner, Fernando Marroquin | @fernandomarroquint, Grupo UBK | @grupo_ubk 

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Located in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, ROCA Pilates Studio is a renovation project that integrates architectural expression with the practice of Pilates. The design by Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño, led by Daniela Bucio Sistos, draws from the name ‘ROCA,’ using mineral tones and stone materials as the primary language while incorporating lighter elements that reflect movement and fluidity.

The facade is defined by granite, marked by an incision shaped as the pilates studio’s logo. Entry occurs through an opening, leading visitors into a reception space anchored by a large piece of Michoacán cantera stone. This stone element extends through the lobby, where it transforms into a bar finished with tile, creating the impression of a mineral embedded within rock. The reception contrasts solidity with lightness through the use of fabric curtains that span much of the space. Their movement introduces softness and dynamism, evoking the qualities of Pilates practice.

all images courtesy of Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño

Mineral tones and stone define the material palette

The design team at Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño organizes the program into four main areas. The lobby includes a bar that serves both as a hostess station and café, complemented by a communal seating area and integrated restroom core. The practice spaces consist of three rooms, one for mat exercises, one for Cadillac equipment, and one for reformers, each designed for specific training requirements.

Circulation is defined by a wide corridor that connects the reception with the studios. This passage benefits from natural light provided by preexisting windows. Circular openings are introduced along the corridor’s wall to align with structural bays, generating a visual rhythm and strengthening the relationship between interior and light. On the opposite side, the wall transitions into a half-vaulted ceiling, creating a sense of enclosure. Each studio entrance is framed by a border of tile and accented by a line of light, reinforcing continuity and guiding users through the space. ROCA Pilates Studio establishes a dialogue between the permanence of stone and the transience of fabric, balancing weight and lightness while creating an environment suited to both practice and community.

ROCA Pilates Studio is located in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

the project reimagines an existing structure as a Pilates studio

Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño, led by Daniela Bucio Sistos, designed the space

the concept draws on the name ‘ROCA,’ meaning rock

mineral tones and stone define the material palette

light fabric curtains contrast with the solidity of stone

curtains introduce softness and movement into the space

circular openings align with the structural bays to create rhythm

tile cladding carries the mineral texture into the internal spaces

each entrance is framed with tile and illuminated by a line of light

three dedicated practice rooms accommodate mat, Cadillac, and reformer exercises

project info:

name: ROCA Casa de Pilates

architects: Daniela Bucio Sistos – Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño | @danielabsistos

location: Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

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Casa Piscina del Cielo, designed by Zozaya Arquitectos, rises from the coastal slopes of Mexico’s Pacific coast as both residence and landscape intervention. The project is set on a site of unusual topography, where natural contours and ancient boulders guided the architectural response. The architects tell designboom: ‘From the outset, the client asked for something extraordinary, a home that would defy convention, a structure that felt singular and paradigm-breaking.’

The home’s entrance is framed by strong geometries and stone surfaces, leading visitors through two monumental doors and into a central courtyard with its dramatic swimming pool. Here, massive rocks were uncovered during excavation and preserved in-place to becoming sculptural monoliths around which the home’s program centers.

Casa Piscina del Cielo is designed by Zozaya Arquitectos | images © Alex Krotkov (unless otherwise stated)

zozaya arquitectos sculpts a pool toward the horizon

From this central stone courtyard, Zozaya Arquitectos’ Casa Piscina del Cielo unfolds. The architects shelter the main living space beneath a soaring palapa, open on all sides to sea breezes and natural light. Under this thatched canopy, breezy living, dining, and kitchen areas extend into one another, accumulating to create a vast communal space that feels at once wide-open and sheltered.

With service areas organized subtly to one side. This allows the main living spaces to flow outward onto a covered terrace where a pergola, grill, and bar gaze outward to the horizon.

Casa Piscina del Cielo’s most impressive element is perhaps its swimming pool, which projects 27 meters (90 feet) over the cliffside. Suspended above the cliffy coastline and waves beyond, the pool’s floor is punctuated by a square glass window, framing a watery view down to surf and creating the sensation of floating between sea and sky. This single gesture defines the project’s name and character.

the home is shaped by natural topography and preserved boulders of Mexico’s Pacific coast

interior design draws from the landscape

Alongside the courtyard, a cinema and office space neighbor a guest suite that opens onto a private terrace. Further down, the most secluded level contains the main bedroom and a gym, both facing a quiet terrace that frames distant ocean views. From this sheltered perch, the floating silhouette of the pool above becomes part of the coastal panorama.

The landscape design, executed by Taller Entorno, is integral to the architectural intent. Plantings and pathways are woven into the terrain so that the house appears to emerge from the hillside rather than dominate it. This way, the architects create a continuity between natural slope, the jagged stone formations, and the built space.

Zozaya Arquitectos curates a material palette informed by regional authenticity. Woven palm defines the palapa and interior ceilings, parota wood lends warmth, and chukum plaster recalls the surrounding earth. Exposed concrete, steel pergolas, and wood decks reinforce a dialogue between local tradition and a style that is almost brutalist. The interiors, led by DRDS, extend this approach with restrained detailing and furnishings that echo the textures of the site.

the home is shaped by natural topography and preserved boulders | image © Daniel Zozaya Valdes

a central courtyard organizes the layout of the residence

the main living space is sheltered under a soaring palapa

a swimming pool projects nearly 90-feet over the cliffside horizon

the swimming pool cantilevers over the terrace and rocks below

passive design and water recycling systems ensure sustainable performance

project info:

name: Casa Piscina del Cielo

architect: Zozaya Arquitectos | @zozaya_arquitectos

location: Punta Garrobo, Zihuatanejo, México

area: 1,976 square meters

completion: 2025

photography: © Alex Krotkov | @alex.krotkov, © Daniel Zozaya Valdes

lead designers: Enrique Zozaya Diaz & Daniel Zozaya Valdés
project team: Danitza Pérez Reyes, José Antonio Vázquez, Ana Karen Cadena, Jesús López, Cesar Octavio

construction: ZAR
structural design: Omar Hernández
interior design: DRDS
landscape design: Taller Entorno

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Installed on the rooftop of Casa Wabi Sabino in Mexico City’s Atlampa neighborhood, Tendedero (Clothesline) by Brenda Isabel Pérez and Israel Espin reinterprets the domestic act of hanging clothes as an architectural and artistic intervention. The work connects urban space, materiality, and social critique through a minimal yet deliberate design strategy.

The installation consists of four parallel metal cables stretched across the rooftop, anchored with steel counterweights. Suspended from these lines are twelve linen canvases measuring 2.5 × 1.5 meters each. The system establishes a balance between the rigidity of the steel structure and the lightness of the semi-transparent fabric. As the canvases respond to wind and movement, the installation becomes dynamic, creating shifting spatial thresholds for visitors to move through. By occupying the rooftop, the project reclaims a transitional zone historically associated with domestic labor and care work, often carried out by women and largely overlooked within urban and economic frameworks. Through its spatial configuration, Tendedero makes this labor visible, situating it within both architectural discourse and collective experience.

all images by Andrés Cedillo unless stated otherwise

quotidian clothesline transforms into large-scale installation

The intervention interacts with Alberto Kalach’s architectural design for Casa Wabi Sabino, complementing its structural clarity while introducing a new layer of permeability and rhythm. The linen surfaces generate ephemeral enclosures, producing moments of transparency and opacity that alter perspective and scale. The act of walking among the fabrics recalls both the repetitiveness of daily domestic work and its metaphorical dimensions, relating to cycles of care, repair, and renewal that sustain the social fabric.

The enlarged scale of the clothesline transforms an everyday household object into an inhabitable structure. This shift repositions the domestic as a critical spatial territory, one through which the city is shaped and social relationships are negotiated. Through Tendedero installation, artists Espin and Pérez explore the intersection of art, architecture, and urbanism, proposing a reconsideration of dwelling and domestic labor as integral to the cultural and material fabric of the city.

Tendedero by Brenda Isabel Pérez and Israel Espin in Mexico City

an installation exploring domestic labor and urban space

rooftop intervention at Casa Wabi Sabino in the Atlampa neighborhood

four parallel metal cables span the rooftop, holding linen canvases

twelve natural linen sheets define the installation’s structure

steel counterweights anchor the tensile system at each end | image by Alum Gálvez

the work transforms a quotidian clothesline into large-scale architecture | image by Alum Gálvez

semi-transparent fabrics shift with the wind, creating a moving threshold | image by Alum Gálvez

the installation connects private domestic work with public urban space | image by Alum Gálvez

Architects and artists Brenda Isabel Pérez and Israel Espin stand along Tendedero installation | image by Alum Gálvez

project info:

name: Tendedero (Clothesline)
designers: Brenda Isabel Pérez | @unabrenda, Israel Espin | @israelespin

design team: Cristian Camacho, Gersain Aquino, Liliana Coronado, Marbet Salazar-Bernal

textiles: Sistema Soñar, Itzel Sánchez Hernández

curator: Dakin Hart

dates: July 12th to September 27, 2025

photographer: Alum Gálvez | @alum_galvez, ESPACIOS – Andres Cedillo | @_andrescedillo

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Casa Gálvez by Estudio Villagálvez stands at the edge of a dense residential and industrial neighborhood in León, Mexico, where the city unexpectedly meets a strip of greenery. This adjacency defines the identity of the residence that opens toward a communal landscape of mature trees, including a flamboyant (Delonix regia) and a eucalyptus, integrating them into its composition and framing them as thresholds, companions, and internal landscapes.

At the entrance, the flamboyant tree establishes scale and orientation before one even encounters the building. A covered zaguán, a traditional entrance passage in Spanish and Latin American architecture, mediates the passage inside, a vertical, concrete-framed space punctured by a circular oculus. This intermediary zone draws the eye upwards to the canopy and sets the tone for an experience structured around light, shadow, and the trees themselves.

all images by Jorge Succar

suspended wooden core reinterprets reinterprets mexican troje

Once inside Casa Gálvez, the space opens abruptly into a double-height volume that recalls, in contemporary form, the troje, a traditional Mexican barn used for shelter and storage. Here, however, the typology is reimagined as a suspended wooden structure that becomes the heart of the home. On the ground floor, it accommodates the kitchen and dining room, while above, it extends into a TV room and study. Floating within the central void, this suspended troje organizes collective life, maintaining visual and spatial continuity across levels.

Architecture practice Estudio Villagálvez concentrates bedrooms and service areas into a vertical volume arranged like a small tower. Patios are interspersed to extend the interiors outward, regulating air and light, and ensuring each space retains a visual link to vegetation. The central patio in particular functions as a bioclimatic device that allows natural airflow and solar control and as a contemplative void enclosing a protected space, while tree crowns dominate the view.

The volumetric composition of Casa Gálvez emerges from the interplay of the entrance volume aligned with the flamboyant tree, the soaring social core, and the compact private tower. Curved lines and earthy-textured bases mediate their connections, softening the geometry. Through this layered sequence that thresholds, double heights, patios, and shadows compose, the house is revealed gradually.

Casa Gálvez stands at the edge of a dense residential and industrial neighborhood in León, Mexico

the residence opens toward a communal landscape of mature trees

framing the trees as thresholds, companions, and internal landscapes

a covered zaguán mediates the passage inside

the flamboyant tree establishes scale and orientation before one even encounters the building

an experience structured around light, shadow, and the trees themselves

the wooden ceiling is a new version of the traditional granary homes

the suspended wooden structure becomes the heart of the home

after the cozy intimacy of the zaguán, visitors emerge into a surprising openness

curved lines and earthy-textured bases mediate connections between the volumes

a layered sequence that thresholds, double heights, patios, and shadows compose

project info:

name: Casa Gálvez
architect: Estudio Villagálvez | @estudiovillagalvez

location: León, Mexico

construction: Cubo Rojo | @el_cubo_rojo
landscaping: LATIKA | @latika.paisajismo

photographer: Jorge Succar | @jsuccar

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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Tucked into the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, FORMANT Studio’s Marne Café brings together architecture, gastronomy, and tactile design. The café and bakery take a timeless approach to contemporary space-making — grounded in high-quality, locally sourced products and a strong material sensibility. Inside, a raw yet composed brutalist palette defines the atmosphere.

Exposed concrete and metal structures, dark wood, and pared-back industrial lighting form the backbone of the interior, while accents of color in the upholstery and wall-mounted artworks offset the otherwise neutral environment. Photographs framed in metal add to the layered visual language, and suspended ceiling speakers infuse the space with a carefully curated soundscape, reinforcing the immersive atmosphere.

all images by Fabián Martínez

formant studio unites different uses with a consistent language

Spanning 130 square meters, Marne Café is loosely divided into two zones, with the first a restaurant and counter space that opens onto the street, and tucked further inside, a wine bar tucked. Despite their different uses, both areas are stitched together by a consistent material and spatial language. All furnishings — tables, stools, chairs, lighting, and even the service counter — were custom-designed by Mexico City-based FORMANT Studio to reflect the project’s functional needs and aesthetic restraint. The layout follows a subtle logic that allows guests to flow easily through the space, sit briefly, or stay longer depending on the rhythm of their visit.

Marne Café brings together architecture, gastronomy, and tactile design

a raw yet composed brutalist palette defines the atmosphere

tucked into the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City

characterized by locally sourced products and a strong material sensibility

exposed concrete meets metal structures

engulfing dark wood and pared-back industrial lighting enhance the ambiance

the café is loosely divided into two zones

all furnishings were custom-designed by FORMANT Studio

transitioning between open and more intimate spaces

photographs framed in metal add to the layered visual language

industrial lighting finishes

project info:

name: Marne Café
architect: FORMANT Studio | @formant.studio

location: Mexico City

photographer: Fabián Martínez | @fabianml

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

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In the desert landscapes of Baja California Sur, Mexico, Canyon Market & Offices stand as both an amenity and an anchor, serving as the main administrative building for a private family club. The design, created in collaboration between MEDEZA (led by Francisco Parra) and the Querencia Design Center and Construction, embraces the clarity of a modular column-and-beam system free of bearings walls, drawing inspiration from Le Corbusier’s Maison Domino. This structural principle grants the building an inherent flexibility, allowing it to adapt and reconfigure to future needs, reflecting an architecture that is at once pragmatic and poetic.

in Baja California Sur, Mexico, Canyon Market & Offices is the main administrative building for a private family club

communal hub in baja california sur

The Canyon Market & Offices by MEDEZA presents a weighty yet horizontal two-level volume that settles into the desert terrain. A continuous clerestory opening defines its upper edge, not only admitting light but also enabling natural ventilation and passive heat cycling in response to the arid climate. In this way, the building turns environmental conditions into active design elements, creating an architecture that works with the desert rather than against it.

its modular column-and-beam system, free of bearings walls, draws inspiration from Le Corbusier’s Maison Domino

The ground level is a hub of communal activity, housing a marketplace, a doctor’s office, restrooms, and a bike hub. Above, the second floor accommodates offices for 80 users, organized around shared spaces and a generous open hall. A steel truss spans this central space, intentionally revealed to carry both mechanical systems and lighting. This honest expression of structure contributes to the building’s refined desert aesthetic, celebrating its precise engineering and adaptable program while remaining deeply attuned to its unique environment.

the design was created in collaboration between MEDEZA and the Querencia Design Center and Construction

the ground level is a hub of communal activity, housing a marketplace, a doctor’s office, restrooms, and bike hub

the second floor accommodates offices for 80 users, organized around shared spaces

the architecture works with the desert rather than against it

the opening of its upper edge admits light and enables natural ventilation and passive heat cycling inside

the weighty yet horizontal two-level volume settles into the desert terrain in Baja California Sur

Canyon Market & Offices acts as a hub for the private family club

its honest expression of structure contributes to the building’s refined desert aesthetic

the architecture’s precise engineering is accentuated in its unique environment

project info:

name: Canyon Market & Offices
designer studio: MEDEZA, and Querencia Design Center and Construction

designers: Francisco Parra, Mauricio Rios, Gerardo Aguero, Dennis Martinez, Isabella Turquie, Ricardo Nunez, Vanessa Ramirez, and Roberto Hernandez

location: Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

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