It's Okay to Live Under a Rock
I visited Casa Orgánica in Mexico City.
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of touring Casa Orgánica. It’s a partially underground house in Naucalpan de Juárez, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Mexico City, designed by architect Javier Senosiain.
Senosiain was one of the first architects in Mexico to focus on organic and bioarchitecture, a term that Frank Lloyd Wright coined. The concept focuses on bringing together architecture, nature, and ecology.
“Organic architecture is the architectural philosophy that seeks harmony between the human habitat and the natural world.”
— Javier Senosiain
When you show up at the front door, you’re greeted by a massive oval door surrounded by green leaves. It reminded me of an avocado pit.
Stepping inside felt otherworldly. We removed our shoes and went through dim, cavernous tunnels before emerging into the living room, a large room with massive oval windows, soft white carpet, and a loooooooong built-in couch. Senosiain was inspired by Luis Barragán and Juan O'Gorman, and you can see their influence in the tunnel’s colors and organic shapes.
Next to the living room was the kitchen, featuring a dreamy sink and curvy countertops. Senosiain lived here for 25 years with his wife and children, and throughout the tour, I was imagining what it must have been like to grow up in a house like this one. Everything was soft and rounded, like the lines and shapes we see in nature.
Walking through the house, we moved from hallway to hallway—each glowing in a different hue: red, orange, yellow, pink, blue. It felt like I was exploring caves, not a house.
And at times, it felt like I was just in a playhouse. Except this wasn’t just a make-believe house. It was a real, functional home. Everything was thought out, with hidden little crevices and storage built into the walls.
We made our way to the top of the house where the studio was. This part of the house was called El Tiburón (the Shark) and overlooked the beautiful hills of the neighborhood. We ended the tour by going down the slide and running around the hilly, green yard. A dream. I can’t wait to go back to the house once it’s available to tour again.
P.S. I highly recommend you watch Architectural Digest’s recent video, Inside an Architect's Underground Home in Mexico City. You need to hear Senosiain talk about the house in his own words.
How to Bring Cave Energy to Your Home
I’d love to live in a cave—but I’m in Brooklyn. Still, I think it’s possible to bring a cavernous feel to a home. Here’s what I’m thinking.
More natural materials
More stone! This terrastone travertine nightstand from Etsy is on my wishlist now. The stone chair is kinda wild, but I’m obsessed. I’m just picturing it in my little apartment.
Touches of wood and color
The light color of the stone with the pops of wood at Casa Orgánica is a beautiful combination. Despite the overall neutral color palette, the colorful mugs and plates stand out nicely. It reminds me of when you see rocks out in the wild with little colorful flowers peaking out from the cracks.
Natural paint colors
I’ve been wanting to add a cream, limewash look to my apartment for quite some time now. It would add a nice stone-like feel without being a big lift.
For Your Leisure
I’ve been watching Claudia Sulewski since I was a teen and her latest YouTube video is all about her designing and remodeling her home
I asked the Small Pleasures chat for recommendations on a new weekender travel bag and the Dina Black Travel Tote from Loeffler Randall came up
The most unique set of chairs from North East India
This photo of Casa Cueva, a now-destroyed cave house in Mexico City designed by Juan O’Gorman
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Incredible one Sandy. Can’t wait to go and see this wonderful place for myself.
Wow, I've never heard of this style or architecture before and I'm blown away. My brain is having a hard time adjusting to seeing this as a home and I kind of love that challenge on my brain. Stunning.