RIMA Design Group

Our initial approach was to incorporate rammed earth construction to the most important spaces of the house and utilize a second material which is Concrete to express the other massing elements. The rammed earth walls are thermal insulating walls that also bring in warmth and humidity to the dry desert-scapes of the house. The walls contrast with the polished concrete floors, cement polished walls and T shape poured in place concrete slab over the great room. We wanted to explore the great room as an open palapa, which you commonly find in mainland coastal architecture. The light and cross ventilation come from the clear-story windows above, and the patios are located in every axis of the house, making this a passive design flow. Per the client’s request for conditioned comfort, every room had to be equipped with Air-Conditioned space for summer use, but the way we designed the flow of the house allows the fresh coastal breeze and sound of waves to travel through each space. The design also travels from inside to outside, creating a seamless transition from a comfortable interior space to a Mediterranean-Baja landscape. The equipment necessary to operate the single-story four-bedroom off-grid home was 48 solar panels on the central flat roof, inverters, lithium batteries, and a propane generator to assist the solar system during higher consumption or on cloudy days

https://www.archdaily.com/960399/casa-sal-rima-design-group