Bolivar Arquitectos Designs Grand Villa at Herradura Golf Club in Monterrey, Mexico

Encompassing 17,600 square feet on three levels, Bolivar Arquitectos’ villa at Herradura Golf Club in Monterrey, Mexico, is no doubt a grand one—perfectly suited for an exclusive gated community. But it is also surprisingly at home with the landscape, both the natural and the man-made.
Credit the sensitivity of its geometry and its monolithic materials palette.
The scheme is basically linear, allowing sweeping views of the surroundings. But instead of reading as one long box, the structure has instances of jagged cutaway corners and curvaceous forms that reference the Sierra Madre mountains, visible as backdrop. Italian porcelain tile covers 85 percent of the exterior, resulting in a singular sleek facade. Firm principal Mario Bolivar specified soft gray modules in five sizes, which made it easier to install the
tiles over the faceted corners. As a result, seams are all but invisible.
Porcelain continues inside, too, where Bolivar opted for quartzite- and marble-effect
coverings to clad walls and floors. “Here in Mexico, high-end homes use mostly natural stone,” he comments. Winner of the Ceramics of Italy tile competition, he not only aced the test but hit a hole in one.
