A Magical Mirrored Home On A Volcanic Slope

Today’s home is far from the traditional spaces we are accustomed to. Everything about this home, from its brilliant mirrored exterior to the extinct volcano where it is located, adds to the overall wow factor of this design.

Image credit: Casa Etérea)

An Ethereal House

Conceived as an off-grid hideaway for two, Casa Etérea (meaning Ethereal House) is a 75-square-metre dwelling that sits on the rugged slopes of the extinct volcano Palo Huérfano. The vision was to create a “theatre to nature” from which guests could experience the mountain. Sustainability was therefore crucial in attaining a truly complete integration with the environment. In order to achieve this, the house runs on solar energy, collected rainwater, and uses a patterned ultraviolet coating on the mirror making it visible to birds while remaining reflective to the human eye.

Heavily inspired by the concept of “emotional architecture,” – coined by Mexican architect Luis Barragán and sculptor-painter Mathias Goéritz – Casa Etérea is liveable installation art that uses mirrored panels to diffuse the boundaries between the wild and the structured. By distorting the perspective of where the observer begins and the landscape ends, the project aims to evoke a deep sense of awe and oneness with the wild, and to beg questions about our role as stewards in the preservation of our ecosystems.

Connected to Nature

It is, therefore, 100% eco-friendly and completely solar-powered, making it a mesmerising place that is deeply connected to the land and nature. The New York Times called it “an architectural showpiece, built to inspire a sense of awe” while Architectural Digest celebrated the home as a “refuge for lovers of solitude and nature”.

Designed by writer and designer Prashant Ashoka, this home was built as a writer’s retreat and as a place to offer travellers the opportunity to reconnect with nature. Forbes called it a modernist refuge encased in mirrored panels. It is a livable art project; like a mirage. The structure transforms from celestial to terrestrial between dusk and dawn, echoing the skies and surrounding landscapes.

The Interior

It is hard to look past the magical mirrored exterior, but on the inside, the home is a beautiful and intimate space, designed without partition walls – making the entire house one large room. From the central living space and bedroom, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors frame vistas of towering cliffs, while opening to connect with a decked patio area and solar-heated pool surrounded by olive and pomegranate trees. The house also features an exposed glass shower with views to a staggering ravine, and an intimate kitchen equipped with amenities for light cooking. Remote-controlled outdoor PVC shutters were added to provide security and privacy. The house is located on a magnificent 8000sqm property, and guests will enjoy large, open outdoor spaces.

Casa Etérea is available for the ultimate  experience fand can be booked here.

Architect & Designer: Prashant Ashoka

Interiors: NAMUH

Glass & Mirror Designer: Oskar Chertudi Maya

Project design consultant: Gabriel Lopategui

Landscape Architect: Octavio Cambron Munguia

Project Manager: Mario Gonzalez

Pool & Solar Designer: Antonio Santana

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