Excerpt: Casa Ferrum is an architectural project designed by Miró Rivera Architects in Texas. The home and site were designed around an existing tree, which serves as the focal point of the private garden and outdoor living space. A cantilevered concrete ribbon wrapped in pipes provides shade to an outdoor seating and dining area.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] Occupying a tight urban site, Casa Ferrum embodies the essence of Monterrey. The home’s sinuous profile reflects the meandering ridge of the Sierra Madre Oriental, while its metal pipe screen recalls the industrial origins and metallurgical history of the old town of San Pedro Garza García. A continuous ribbon of metal pipes wraps the perimeter of the building—blending solid wall, window, and open-air screen. Rounded corners accentuate the flow of the ribbon—dissolving the discrete volumes and façades while softening the sharp corners created by the trapezoidal site. The metal pipes serve as a rainscreen for solid walls; as privacy and shading for selected windows; and as a double-layered open-air screen for the entry vestibule and outdoor living space.
The home and site were designed around an existing tree, which serves as the focal point of the private garden and outdoor living space. A cantilevered concrete ribbon wrapped in pipes provides shade to an outdoor seating and dining area, while a lap pool extends along the southern edge of the lawn.
Inside the house, private spaces—including bedrooms, family rooms, and support spaces like the kitchen and utility room—are clustered into two wings. Within each wing, the private spaces are connected to shared public spaces, including the double-height living room, glass-walled media room, and a dining room that opens onto the outdoor living space. The third floor hosts a game room/home theater and rooftop terrace, which capitalize on the location’s sweeping views of the Sierra Madre Oriental to the north and south.
Throughout the interiors, the material palette creates a dialogue with the outside: natural stone flooring continues from interior to exterior; windows and partition glass provide natural light and visual connections; and vertical wood paneling echoes the pattern of the exterior pipe screen.
Drawings
