Villas del Vigía: A Lookout over the Pacific

A residential complex with curvilinear forms designed by CAAM Arquitectos, Villas del Vigía is set among the hills surrounding the stunning Zihuatanejo Bay on Mexico’s west coast.

The project comprises 14 expansive residential units overlooking Cerro del Vigía, a locale that, as its name – lookout hill – suggests, offers spectacular views of both the bay and Pacific Ocean. 

In designing the complex, the studio first studied the relationship with the landscape – an important and particularly sensitive issue affecting the local architecture. Integration with the environment and the close connection to the ocean dictated the project’s objectives and design.

Villas del Vigía: in dialogue with context

The design is based on two rectangular volumes sculpted to lighten the structure and create spatial fluidity and visual continuity with the landscape. This has produced architecture with rounded forms defined by various sections and breaks that functionally hollow out the volumes. While imparting a dynamism and softness to the façade, this curvature also helps the towers blend visually with the horizon.

Combined with extensive glazing, the design deepens the connection to the ocean with each unit featuring panoramic views from every point.

A base structure compensates for the hill’s uneven ground, allowing the complex to follow the natural topography with minimal earthwork.

The living units – seven in each of the two towers – range in size from 140 m² to 260 m². The height and staggered sections of the two volumes follow the site’s natural incline, harmonizing the composition with the site’s contours.

Warm and welcoming interiors

Nature dictates the project’s formal choices, with natural materials and colors dominating both the façades and interiors. Neutral finishes and tones – including sand, brown, and beige – echo the surrounding rock and vegetation while softening the visual impact on the hillside.

Visually, the landscape takes center stage in each residence, with extensive glazing also providing abundant natural light, which gives the interiors a soft, warm atmosphere.

Suspended between sky and earth, the complex sits unobtrusively on the hillside, making each home a lookout for contemplating the ocean views.

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