In Mexico, a Circular Home Surrounded by Forest Brings a Family Together

Dellekamp + Schleich build a C-shaped weekend getaway in Valle de Bravo with a central courtyard that prioritizes play.

Sep 9, 2024 - 19:51

In Mexico, a Circular Home Surrounded by Forest Brings a Family Together

Dellekamp + Schleich build a C-shaped weekend getaway in Valle de Bravo with a central courtyard that prioritizes play.

Dellekamp + Schleich built this C-shaped weekend getaway in Valle de Bravo with a central courtyard that prioritizes play.

As Mexico City–based restaurateur and filmmaker Sergio Goyri and his wife, cultural manager Sofía Maciel, began dreaming up plans for a getaway in Valle de Bravo, their wishlist was long. They wanted it to be easy to maintain, with an outdoor kitchen, plentiful daylight, and cozy interiors—and one thing was nonnegotiable. "It was important that the house feel like it was in the middle of the forest," says Sergio. "I repeated it 20 times—we wanted to feel like we were in the middle of the forest."

Design duo Derek Dellekamp and Jachen Schleich delivered. They started planning this weekend home for the family of five after having designed the property next door. "We loved all the work they’d been doing, and thought it was the perfect architecture for the kind of house we wanted to build," says Sergio.

<span style= — "We love to be at the fireplace with a glass of wine or mezcal—it’s one of our favorite places," says homeowner Sergio Goyri of the family’s getaway in the mountains outside of Mexico City.
Sandra Pereznieto

"Many people said ‘you’re crazy,’ because it’s a circular house," says Sergio. "But in the end, we just love how easy it is to go from one place to the other, and how we communicate."
Sandra Pereznieto

Given complete design freedom, Dellekamp + Schleich used the opportunity to present a rare form: a C-shape that optimizes views and natural light. "When we started to fit in all the requirements and tried the circular form, it reminded us of a hug," says Dellekamp. "It is a powerful image for what we were trying to achieve." The shape allows for unobstructed sight lines from the living room to the bedrooms, so that the couple can keep an eye on their three young children. It also fulfills another program request: space to play.