Step Inside a Contemporary Home in Mexico’s Historic SMA

Published October 15, 2022

Architect Roy Azar wanted to reflect the elements in the new structure

By Karine Monié

Photography by Alejandro García

“During my first visit to the site in San Miguel de Allende, you could feel the magic. It had to be heard, felt, and incorporated into the house—it had to be made visible and palpable,” Mexico City-based architect Roy Azar says. Along with the magic, Azar was also guided by the house’s majestic surroundings—on the shore of a lake, with a landscape of vineyards and mountain peaks behind it.

After 15 years of living in the historic center of San Miguel de Allende, the owner—a French-American entrepreneur—wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle and move to the outskirts of town, in search of a little more tranquility. He asked Azar to design a modern version of a country house. From a blank canvas, the architect conceived a single-story, clean-lined home that spans 10,000 square feet and is arranged in a U shape to maximize views.

“We started the design process at the beginning of the pandemic, when we were all locked down at home and removed from the distractions of daily life. This gave me the luxury to dream about the landscape of the site and reflect on that peaceful panorama, contemporary architectural volumes, and local materials—and then how all three could come together naturally,” Azar explains.

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