Casa Lila Home Architecture Mexico City. The House is also known as the Glass House and consists of two structures: A three level house designed and built first about 30 years ago by Jerry Jacobs Design (AKA Arq. Gerardo Jacobs, CAM) and a separate studio, or Guest House. The studio structure is over 100 years old and restored and updated.
A classic minimalist contemporary Townhouse.
This Blog talks about:
Mexico City now called”La Ciudad de Mexico” or CDMX. It is also now a “State” with a Governor, and a 25M people City?
When a City is so large, also now a state in its own, with many Cities and some larger than others. Our Home and Studio-Offices were located in La Delegación Alvaro Oregon, or the City of AO. Chimalistac* . Located in San Angel on the border with better Internationally known Coyoacan, main colonial surrounding villages. Most noteworthy nearby is Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo’s own home and Museum. Similarly is the Bazar Sabado. Certainly the best place in CDMX to spend a full Saturday and because there are so many activities near by as well.
Architect Luis Barragan 1902-1998. While Barragan produced a relatively small amount of work, his work was certainly important both for Mexican Architecture and World Architecture. For that reason he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Award. The term Minimalism, and Minimalist Architecture, were hardly heard before his work. Simple and clean forms accentuated by bold colors (in his case). As a result Mexico’s Architecture in the 20th. century became better recognized. Hence and influence in the Architecture of the country and world wide. We could also mention my friend the architect Ricardo Legorreta(1931-2011) , certainly one of Barragan’s most successful followers.
When I was a teenager my sister Patricia Jacobs (1945-2014) and her then husband Luis Rionda, called Luis Barragan and asked him to do their home. Probably because he was already very famous and too busy he designated one of two of his associates Architect Andres Casillas, the other associate was Legorreta. As a result, I learned the style as I was growing up. Furthermore my family commisioned Andrez to do a set of 5 homes at the Cuernavaca Golf Club as a result I would visit the construction from time to time.
I consider myself a minimalist, in that I believe in synthesising. That is achieving a look intended with the minimum composition resources. While it sounds simple it is actually rather difficult. Because you try to do a lot with a little. Similarly it is like doing a lot with a small budget. Given that in this case the style and use of materials was regionalist it made sense to use local materials and technics to achieve my design goals.
Mies van der Rohe. 1886-1969.
It was actually Mies who coined the term “Less is More”. While his architecture was much more sumptuous in the use of materials, a European by birth and a Master in Chicago. Mies also said God is in the detail. While this is also true minimalist architecture in Mexico, perhaps paid less attention to detail then to Color.
Most architects like myself brought up in Mexico City, where modernists influenced by the Bauhaus traditions. Le Courbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, among other master of architecture of the XX century.
Because my lot was (33′ wide by at the time 66′ deep) and next to my sister”s home, I also thought there should also be some consistency. Hers was orange, therefore my would be Lilac. Most work by Andres Casillas (1934- ) was orange, he must have fallen in love with Rome, and why not. Even more color in Casa Lila’s case was based on the site, due to the fact that we had Jacaranda trees which produce a Lilac flower. Therefore mine would be Lilac.
Simplicity is not a virtue if it is not complicated within. Probably a phrase by Oscar Wilde. Seems like it was yesterday but I designed Casa Lila in the early 1980’s.
Mexican Minimalism v. International Minimalism. Today the work of Archiects like Tadao Ando (Japan 1941- ) is diferent in technics, materials and finishes, specially color v. the lack of it in Concrete.
Finally Glass perhaps my favorite surface. Smooth and transparent while transmitting light, and bringing the outdoors in. At the time I designed this house, I was developing the technology for Structural Glass facades for the Aca Joe stores, so I created my own Minimalism called Minimalist-Tech. Which is more open then the Barragan-Casillas Legorreta style, and bring light through the glass.
The Chimalistac neighborhood. Fountain at the street corner of Rafael Checa and Carmen streets (corner house by Mexican Architect Caco Parra). Photo by Jerry Jacobs
The neighborhood. Fountain at the street corner (corner house by Mexican Architect Caco Parra).
 https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimalistac Google Chimalistac. You will find numerous links.
Our church San Sebastian Martir* is beautiful, small and famous. Other notable churches are El Carmen on Revolucion corner of Av. De la Paz (restaurants), and San Jacinto(Near Bazar Sabado).
Our Home and Studio compound in Chimalistac, CDMX.
House seen from the garden. South Elevation. Architecture by Jerry Jacobs Design.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©.Garden South Elevation, notice structural glass mitered corner; tree trunk inside facade as in de constructivism.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©.Dining room.
Casa Lila home architecture. Dining room facing backyard-plaza.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©.Split Level structural glass.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©.Split Level structural glass.
Casa Lila home architecture. Living area split level glass front an slanted top.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©. Glass fireplace.It worked exceptionally well.
Casa Lila. Glass surrounded fireplace. The system heats the entire house through the split level system.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©. Metal staircase to loft.
Studio or Guest House Plaza elevation. Design and completed. Plaza in volcanic stone tile.
It turna out thew most attractive feature now is a separate office, with a direct street entrance.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©. Restoration part CAD elevation.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©. Restoration elevation. Photo by Jerry Jacobs
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©. Restoration elevation window and garden details. Photos by Jerry Jacobs
Upon my dear mother’s death, my lot grew in depth to twice the lenght, or about 135′. At the back there was an 120 year old home where I was actually born, and I was able to start remodeling, while salvaging some elements of its original architecture, such as some of the floors.
We hope to open our showroom and local office here in the Studio or Guest House.
Casa Lila Home Architecture by Gerald (Jerry) Jacobs©. Restoration existing floors. Photo by Jerry Jacobs
8.28.24
In 2022 I sold Casa Lila. I was indeed very sad but we just did not use it enough and the keep was over our budget. I designed Rafael Checa 51 in 1980 and finished building it in 1986, while I had moved from Mexico City to San Francisco already, so never occupied it , while my wife Vivien and daughter Joy did live there for 8 months and were more attached perhaps…. A Luxury I couldn’t afford. I tricked myself into believing I had designed it for a client (not own it), that way I could say goodby like I do with the rest of my work. Will I visit again not knowing what has changed I don’t know, we’ll see…
Arquitecto Andrez Casillas. Arquitecto Andrez Casillas.
Chimalistac. Chimalistac
Photography. Pablo Aguinaco
Jerry Jacobs Design. San Francisco . Belvedere-Tiburon.  +1.415.435.0520  www.jerryjacobsdesign.com   Contact
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