Jerry Jacobs Design | Casa Lila Home Architecture Mexico City. | Jerry Jacobs Design
A blue house with a large glass window.

Casa Lila Home Architecture Mexico City.


Casa Lila Home Architecture Mexico City.

Casa Lila Home Architecture Mexico City.

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:

  • The Architecture and Interior Design of the House.
  • Casa Lila Home Architecture Mexico City. New Guest House or Studio in progress.
  • Restaurants, Museums and activities in Mexico City (La CDMX) near Casa Lila. Please update if you visit.

Casa Lila Home Architecture Mexico City.

Mexico City now called”La Ciudad de México” or CDMX. It is also now a “State” with a Governor, not a 25M people City?

When a City is so large, also now a state in its own, with many Cities, some larger than others. Our Home and Studio-Offices are 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.

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. 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 and architect Ricardo Legorreta†, certainly one on L. Barragan’s most successful followers.

My sister Patricia Jacobs† and her husband Luis Rionda, called Luis Barragan and asked him to do their home, while I was a teenager. Probably because he was already to famous he designated one of two of his associates Andres Casillas. The other associate of Barragan was Ricardo Legorreta†. As a result, I learned the style as I was growing up.

Less is More.

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.

Bauhaus.

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.

Casa Lila.

Because my lot (33′ wide by at the time 66′ deep) was next to my sisters home, I also thought there should also be some consistency. Hers was orange, therefore my would be Lilac. Most work by Andres casillas 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.

Minimalism is timeless.

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.

Glass.

Finally Glass perhaps my favorite surface. Smooth and transparent while transmitting light, and bringing the outdoors in.

A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.The neighborhood. Fountain at the street corner (corner house by Mexican Architect Caco Parra).

The neighborhood.

 https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimalistac Google Chimalistac. You will find numerous links.

Our church San Sebastian Mártir* is beautiful, small and famous. Other notable churches are El Carmen on Revolución corner of Av. De la Paz(restaurants), and San Jacinto(Near Bazar Sábado).

Our Home and Studio compound in Chimalistac, CDMX.  While currently it  for “SALE” for someone else to enjoy.

House seen from the garden. South Elevation. Architecture by Jerry Jacobs Design.

A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.

A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.

Casa Lila home architecture. Dining room facing backyard-plaza.

A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.

A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.

Casa Lila home architecture. Living area split level glass front an slanted top.

A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.Casa Lila. Glass surrounded fireplace. The system heats the entire house through the split level system.



A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.



Casa Lila home architecture. The Studio Guest House at La Casa Lila. Under completion.

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.

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.
A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.

We hope to open our showroom and local office here in the Studio or Guest House.

A red and white logo of the american institute for certified public accountants.

 

Links and sources for the Architecture of the House.

Home Portfolio

 

 


 



 Thank you to my clients. I tremendously enjoyed the process.

Thank you for visiting!

Jerry Jacobs Design. San Francisco . Belvedere-Tiburon.  +1.415.435.0520  www.jerryjacobsdesign.com    Contact

JACOBS DESIGN, INC.©-2020-2023

Tags