In the forested hills of Valle de Bravo, a few hours from Mexico City, Copas House by PPAA unfolds as a vertical narrative in dialogue with the landscape.
Perched delicately on a sloping terrain, the 964-square-metre residence does not so much inhabit its site as it becomes a part of it—hovering between the canopy and the forest floor in a suspended choreography of concrete, light, and air. The house's guiding ethos is both ecological and experiential: a retreat that honors its environment by resisting the urge to dominate it.
What distinguishes Copas is not merely its integration with nature, but its spatial intelligence. Entered from above, the home inverts conventional spatial hierarchies—public spaces are elevated, transparent, and porous, while the private quarters burrow into the earth with intimate restraint. This architectural maneuver allows the upper level to act as a viewing platform, an open-air salon aligned with the treetops, shaded by the forest's own canopy. Public life here is framed by glass walls, shifting from pavilion to terrace to poolside lounge in seamless succession.
PPAA’s attention to materiality reinforces the house’s contemplative tone. The grey stucco surfaces—muted, mineral, unglossed—anchor the house within the landscape without competing with it. A curved fireplace wall and linear dining elements subtly guide the eye outward, drawing attention to the dappled light and arboreal textures beyond. Spatial sequences are rhythmic: bands of use flow from kitchen to lounge to open terrace, all unified by an unbroken horizontal datum that mirrors the horizon line formed by the surrounding treetops.
Beneath the public level, a descending stair reveals the private suites, their volumes recessed into the sloping ground. Each bedroom opens to its own balcony—shaded, inward-turning, deeply restful. The layout affords solitude without severing the connection to place. The lower level also houses a social lounge, utilities, and service rooms, all concealed in a partially buried floor. Sustainability is woven into the fabric of the house: solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and natural cross-ventilation articulate a quiet environmental ethic rather than an ostentatious green statement.
