Architects build a brutalist house inspired by Mayan cenotes in Mexico

Architects Salvador Román Hernández and Adela Mortera Villarreal designed Casa Gruta in Valladolid, Yucatán, Mexico, as a residence that mimics the spatial logic of underground caves.

The couple built the home to serve as a private retreat and a rental property that allows others to experience the architecture. The house layout follows the patterns of a karst system, which is a geological formation characterized by underground caves and sinkholes.

The design uses a sequence of tunnels that compress space and vaulted chambers that expand it to create a rhythmic experience of light and shadow. The structure uses pigmeted concrete in greyish green tones to reflect the minerals found in the local limestone. Interior designers Paulina Román and Andrés Briceño worked to maintain a minimal aesthetic that complements the raw materials. The project includes a large common area under a concrete vault where a kitchen and pool coexist.

In the main bedroom, the architects chose to leave a flamboyán tree untouched, building the house around the existing plant instead of removing it. The 254 square meter property incorporates elements like chultunes, which are traditional Mayan cisterns, into a water feature. Landscaping by Archivo Vegetal and Paulina Román integrates local vegetation with the concrete volumes to reflect the natural coexistence of stone and plants in the Yucatán peninsula.