Eriso House | Agraz Arquitectos S.C.

Text by Ana Guerrerosantos

Named this way due to a game of words based on the names of its dwellers, Eriso (Hedgehog) House is different from others of Agraz Arquitectos due to a pair of circumstances. It is, for starters, one of the first raised houses in the second decade of the firm, withholding several constants such as the eternal search of elements to enhance its architectural language.

But without a doubt, the outstanding peculiarity is that it is almost completely surrounded by gardens and street ways while having only one adjacent house. And in addition to this, the land keeps an unevenness that places the street below it, making the most for the rooms that have views to these gardens and practically disappearing all automobile passage.

This is how all attention centers on the front that faces a small lake in the public garden of the suburb, warranting the marvelous view from all premises, and therefore the project makes sure that the most important spaces are directed to this perspective, using scenery and orientation as the best of all combinations.

Once again, vehicles are arranged in the basement, keeping our philosophy of placing all human beings on top of them, and allowing the entrance by a ramp. Equipment and services are located here too.

Developed mostly in one floor, living and dinning rooms, terrace, main bedroom and even kitchen look out to this artificial lake site. A small hall protects privacy and becomes a thin frontier between public and private spaces, and the children’s bedrooms intimacy is emphasized by an aluminum shutter designed by the artist Adrian Guerrero.

Only two rooms are programmed in the second floor: A studio, with complete view to the previously mentioned garden and a terrace of its own, and also a guest room that enjoys complete privacy from the rest of the house and has an independent laundry room.

Due to all these fortunate conditions, the inexistence of neighboring limits among others, the result is a different house that puts special attention to the landscape design. This is why Agraz Arquitectos invited Alvaro Morales who achieved outstanding green areas that integrally enrich the project.

DATASHEET

Location: Los Jales, Zapopan, Jalisco

Project: 2009

Construction: 2011

Author: Ricardo Agraz & Agraz Arquitectos SC.

Collaborators:

Erick Martínez

Jessica Magaña

Javier Gutiérrez

Javier Aguirre

Gabriela Villarreal

Juan Antonio Jaime

Blanca Moreno

Israel Picos

Construction: Salvador Aguirre

Art: Adrián Guerrero

Industrial design: Cubo 3

Photography: Mito Covarrubias

Land area: 1230m2

Construction area: 641m2