Casa Etérea: the cube of mirrors in the Mexican desert where you can stay

Published August 22nd, 2021

Very close to San Miguel de Allende, a twenty-minute drive to be precise, is the mirror cube in the middle of the countryside, a project that took three years to complete and where only two people stay at the same time. Casa Etérea is a place like no other that exists thanks to the imagination, work, and perseverance of Singaporean photographer, writer, and designer Prashant Ashoka.

When Prashant arrived in Mexico more than four years ago, it was the first time he set foot in this country. He arrived without knowing anyone and with only two suitcases, but with restlessness and determination to start his own project.

As he tells it, the Tiny House Movement, that architectural and social trend that promotes a simpler lifestyle in smaller spaces, had caught his attention for some time. Without having any experience in architecture or design, but with very clear ideas, he envisioned an isolated house that would be a refuge surrounded by nature, where everything would be in harmony with the environment. A place that would serve as a hideaway and where anyone who spent time there could find a space to reflect and leave transformed.

Put it this way, it sounds ambitious, but Prash succeeded as he likes to be called. When he began his search for the ideal site, many suggested places near the beach. It wasn’t until he arrived in San Miguel de Allende when he was shown a piece of land far from everything, in the middle of the countryside and at the foot of an extinct volcano, that he found the perfect spot. The story is much shorter than it entailed. Prash started the project and together with different members of the local community of that area called Alcocer, they raised the house covered with mirrors that merges with the landscape and are reminiscent of the glass cubes of contemporary artist Larry Bell. That’s why it’s called the Ethereal House because the idea behind its structure is to reflect the changing seasons. “It’s hard to see where the viewer begins and where the landscape ends. I want this interplay of light and scale to evoke a sense of awe for nature and in turn, allow us to reflect on our role in preserving our ecosystems,” Ashoka says.

The architectural project is a cube without dividing walls and is completely ecological. They used an ultraviolet coating on the mirrors that make them visible to birds, while still being reflective to the human eye. They built the foundations of the house with rocks from the mountain, intending to leave the landscape intact, solar panels provide all the energy for the house and the water supply comes from collected rain.

The windows of the master bedroom are floor-to-ceiling glass, and it opens onto a terrace with a pool. In the interiors, exposed beams and concrete walls coexist with materials such as jute, leather, wood, and stone, as proposed by Namuh’s interior design. A copper bathtub, which Ashoka had made, is the centerpiece next to the bed. Casa Etérea is available to book online, for one or two guests. casaeterea.com