Casa Piscina del Cielo, an extraordinary residential project designed by Zozaya Arquitectos, stands as a remarkable fusion of architecture and landscape along Mexico's Pacific coastline. The home rises from the coastal slopes as both a private residence and a bold landscape intervention, challenging conventional design principles with its daring suspended swimming pool and integration with natural rock formations.
The project sits on a site with highly unusual topography, where natural contours and ancient boulders directly influenced the architectural approach. According to the architects, the client's vision was clear from the beginning: "From the outset, the client asked for something extraordinary, a home that would defy convention, a structure that felt singular and paradigm-breaking." This ambitious goal shaped every aspect of the design, from the dramatic entrance to the gravity-defying pool.
Visitors enter the home through an impressive entrance framed by strong geometric forms and natural stone surfaces, passing through two monumental doors that lead into a central courtyard featuring the property's most striking element. During excavation, construction crews discovered massive rocks embedded in the site, which the architects chose to preserve in place rather than remove. These ancient boulders now serve as sculptural monoliths around which the entire home's program revolves, creating a powerful dialogue between built and natural elements.
The main living spaces unfold from this central stone courtyard under a soaring palapa, a traditional thatched roof structure that remains open on all sides to capture sea breezes and flood the interior with natural light. Under this expansive canopy, the living, dining, and kitchen areas flow seamlessly into one another, creating a vast communal space that feels simultaneously wide-open and intimately sheltered. Service areas are strategically organized to one side, allowing the primary living spaces to extend outward onto a covered terrace equipped with a pergola, outdoor grill, and bar that all face toward the endless horizon.
The home's most spectacular feature is undoubtedly its swimming pool, which projects an impressive 27 meters (90 feet) over the dramatic cliffside. Suspended above the rocky coastline and crashing waves below, the pool's floor incorporates a unique square glass window that frames a mesmerizing view down to the surf, creating the extraordinary sensation of floating between sea and sky. This single architectural gesture not only defines the project's name and character but also represents the pinnacle of the architects' vision to create something truly paradigm-breaking.
The home's layout extends beyond the central courtyard to include a cinema and office space that neighbor a guest suite opening onto its own private terrace. The most secluded level, located further down the slope, houses the main bedroom and a fully equipped gym, both facing a quiet terrace that carefully frames distant ocean views. From this sheltered position, residents can appreciate the floating silhouette of the suspended pool above as it becomes an integral part of the coastal panorama.
Landscape design, executed by Taller Entorno, plays a crucial role in achieving the architectural vision. The plantings and pathways are carefully woven into the natural terrain so that the house appears to emerge organically from the hillside rather than imposing upon it. This thoughtful approach creates a seamless continuity between the natural slope, the jagged stone formations left by geological processes, and the carefully crafted built spaces.
Zozaya Arquitectos selected a material palette that reflects authentic regional building traditions while maintaining a contemporary edge. Woven palm materials define both the palapa roof and interior ceilings, while warm parota wood adds natural texture throughout the spaces. Traditional chukum plaster recalls the colors and textures of the surrounding earth, while exposed concrete, steel pergolas, and wooden decking reinforce an ongoing dialogue between local building traditions and an aesthetic that approaches brutalist architecture. The interior design, led by DRDS, extends this material philosophy with restrained detailing and carefully selected furnishings that echo the natural textures found throughout the dramatic coastal site.
