Casa Encinos: Living Among the Oaks

Nestled within a dense oak forest in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, Casa Encinos, designed by Rozana Montiel  in collaboration with Claudia Rodríguez, explores a sensitive relationship between architecture and its natural surroundings.

Completed in 2022, the house is located within the El Peñón nature reserve, where the existing vegetation and steep terrain became fundamental elements of the design. Rather than clearing the site to accommodate a conventional building footprint, the architects chose to work between the existing trees, elevating the house on a series of supports and allowing the landscape to remain largely undisturbed.

The structure is built primarily from certified laminated timber, reinforcing the connection between the architecture and the surrounding forest. The house is divided into several volumes, terraces, and intermediate spaces that follow the natural topography. Large sliding doors open the interiors toward the landscape, creating a continuous transition between enclosed and outdoor spaces.

The experience of the house is therefore not limited to looking at the forest from inside. Instead, the project encourages its inhabitants to move through and live within the landscape. Exterior paths connect the different areas of the property, while terraces become extensions of the living spaces. The program also includes a guest room, a play area, and a vegetable garden.

Environmental strategies are integrated into the everyday functioning of the house. Natural ventilation and daylight reduce the need for mechanical systems, while rainwater collection, wastewater treatment, and photovoltaic panels contribute to a more self-sufficient approach to living.

Casa Encinos is ultimately an exercise in adaptation rather than domination. The architecture occupies the gaps within the forest instead of replacing it, creating a home where timber, topography, vegetation, and natural light become part of the same spatial experience.

Rather than treating nature as a backdrop, Rozana Montiel and Claudia Rodríguez allow it to become an essential component of the architecture—one that shapes how the house is built, experienced, and inhabited.

Photography by Sandra Pereznieto