In Mérida, the capital of Mexico’s Yucatán state, Enekén Studio, led by architect Miguel Tapia, creates Casa Skoura, a 115 m² residence that integrates the remains of an old structure into a contemporary domestic setting defined by earthy materials, generous volumes and a deep connection to nature and place. Shaped by walls finished in orange chukum—a traditional Mayan lime-based render—alongside red cedar joinery, pigmented concrete and handcrafted pasta tiles, the project draws on regional material traditions and low-impact construction to create a home that is both durable and inherently low maintenance.
Building with memory and place
Founded in 1542 on the site of the ancient Maya city of T’Hó, Mérida possesses one of Latin America’s richest architectural landscapes. Its built environment is defined by the coexistence of Mayan heritage, Spanish colonial urbanism, nineteenth-century prosperity and a vibrant contemporary architectural scene rooted in climate-responsive design and local materials.
Within this context, Enekén Studio creates Casa Skoura, a residence inspired both by the Skoura desert in Morocco and by one of Mérida’s defining domestic typologies: the traditional casa yucateca.
Occupying a long, narrow plot, the 115 m² house unfolds through two residential volumes connected by an open-air courtyard where water, vegetation and light become the organising elements of domestic life.
The restrained material palette reinforces this dialogue with place. Orange-toned pigmented concrete recalls the warm hues of desert sand, while walls finished in chukum—a traditional Mayan lime-based render native to the Yucatán Peninsula—provide durability, breathability and resistance to humidity.
Used for centuries to coat walls, cisterns and water reservoirs, chukum has recently experienced a revival in contemporary Mexican architecture for its tactile quality, natural pigmentation and low environmental impact.
Located slightly beyond Mérida’s historic centre, Casa Skoura announces itself through a carefully composed façade that conceals an unexpectedly generous interior. The sequence begins with an entrance door inspired by Mayan ruins, opening onto a patio shaded by a mature avocado tree.
Beyond, a sunken living room conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the Moroccan majlis forms the social heart of the house.
Here, spatial perception expands dramatically beneath a double-pitched roof rising from six to eight metres, while a large picture window frames the surrounding vegetation, transforming the landscape into an ever-changing domestic backdrop.
As in many of Enekén Studio’s projects, the intervention begins by acknowledging what was already there. Rather than erasing the remains of the previous house, the architects preserve its stone walls and integrate them into the new composition.
One surviving wall becomes the project’s defining architectural element, separating the living and dining areas while anchoring the contemporary intervention within the material memory of the site.
A seamless dialogue between house and landscape
Beyond the preserved masonry wall, the kitchen and dining area unfold as a sculptural ensemble. The kitchen island, conceived as a freestanding piece of furniture, extends into a long dining table reaching the terrace, dissolving the boundary between inside and outside. A high square opening captures the changing movement of daylight throughout the day, while a fully retractable sliding façade enables natural cross-ventilation and reinforces the continuity between architecture and landscape.
The terrace becomes a natural extension of the interior, opening onto an outdoor lounge and a rounded swimming pool whose soft geometry gently offsets the orthogonal composition of the house. Dense tropical planting envelops the courtyard, transforming it into a cool oasis where the vivid greens of the vegetation intensify the earthy palette of the architecture.
Compact yet generous
The rear volume accommodates two bedrooms, a guest bathroom and the service areas. On the ground floor, the principal bedroom incorporates a generous shower illuminated by a wall of vitroblock, allowing filtered light to animate the space throughout the day.
Above, the second bedroom echoes the same spatial language beneath a sloping roof, while an eye-shaped opening in the shower frames a carefully composed view of the sky.
Material continuity
Material consistency defines the project throughout.
Orange chukum walls, red cedar joinery, pigmented concrete and handcrafted pasta tiles establish a tactile architectural language rooted in local craftsmanship.
Every built-in element—from furniture and bedside tables to dining surfaces and artworks—has been designed under the architect’s MATA authorship, reinforcing the house’s integrated character while reducing the need for superfluous additions.
Rather than relying on formal complexity, Casa Skoura demonstrates how architecture can emerge from the careful orchestration of existing structures, regional materials and passive environmental strategies. In doing so, Enekén Studio proposes a contemporary domestic landscape where memory, climate and craftsmanship converge, revealing that the most enduring architecture is often the one that grows from what is already there.
Facts & Credits
Project title Casa Skoura
Typology Architecture, Residential, Private House
Location Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Architecture Enekén Studio
Photography Jasson | Fotografía de Arquitectura