Header: Césáreo Bejar
In Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, ONTO House opens onto the sea from a beachfront plot within a largely untouched coastal landscape. Designed by CRB Arquitectos and completed in 2024, the 1,010 m² project was led by Sebastián Canales and Javier Rivero Borrell, with Carmen Alfaro and Regina Kuri on the design team. The project was recently presented as the winner of the “Architectural Design – Residential” category at the LIV Hospitality Design Awards.
A house of modules
Rather than placing a single large building on the site, the architects divided the resort into smaller volumes spread across the land, facing the ocean. This gives the ONTO a low, broken-down layout and opens up space between the rooms for planting, paths and views towards the Pacific.
In total, ONTO House is divided into six one- and two-storey modules: the entrance and service areas are grouped together, seven bedrooms are spread across four separate modules and the final volume contains the shared areas. This is the largest part of the house, bringing together the open social spaces, kitchen, dining area, lounge, bathrooms, infinity pool, jacuzzi and fire pit.
The bedroom spaces are quieter and more private, with terraces, planting, natural light and cross-ventilation around them. On the lower level, the rooms face the garden, while the upper rooms open to wider sea views. Planted areas between the guest rooms and the shared spaces offer each part of the house a bit more separation. Paths run between the volumes, taking guests through short open-air routes with framed views and changes in shade.
The tropical materials of ONTO House
Exposed concrete frames give structure to the volumes and form deep openings for shutters, doors, terraces and shaded areas, creating the characteristic look of ONTO House. Pigmented concrete is also used to cover the floors, softened with timber beams made from Red Grandis laminated timber. This wood is used for the façades, ceilings, beams, window frames, shutters and doors, having been specifically chosen for how it deals with the local humid, high-temperature climate.
Inside, the material palette complements the one used for the architecture. Estudio M:A, responsible for the interior design, worked with wood, earthy wall tones, chukum-like finishes and large openings to keep the rooms comfortable and connected to their surroundings. Chukum, a natural plaster, is deeply associated with the Yucatán Peninsula, having been chosen for this reason and for the warm tone and texture it gives to walls. Together with masonry details, the pigmented concrete and the tropical timber, it keeps the colours of the room similar to those found outside.
The luxury of a good landscape
Landscape takes up a large part of the project, with 65% of the property kept as green area. The existing coastal vegetation is combined with planted terraces and second-level planters, so greenery surrounds both the ground-floor spaces and the upper bedroom terraces. The planting includes palms, birds of paradise, cacti and other species suited to Puerto Escondido’s tropical climate.
The challenges of going remote
The house’s remote setting shaped some of the technical decisions. The project is disconnected from the electrical network, so photovoltaic panels are part of how it supports the operation. Rainwater harvesting, passive ventilation and a biodigester are also included, alongside the limited occupation of the site. According to CRB, only 35% of the property is built on, with the rest kept green or landscaped.
Project information
Architecture Company: CRB Arquitectos
Lead Designers: Sebastián Canales and Javier Rivero Borrell
Other Designers: Carmen Alfaro, Regina Kuri
Interior Designer: Estudio M:A
Hospitality: ONTO Stay
Construction Company: Secuencia
Developer: SEDE
Location: Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Date: 2024
