➤ Planta
The Hill in Front of the Glen
Reflecting HW Studio’s core philosophy, The Hill in Front of the Glen presents architecture as a silent companion. Its concealed mass is not intended to dominate but to stand as a quiet symbol of presence through absence. Four years ago, as COVID-19 swept the globe, time seemed to hold its breath. In that suspension, people began to reconsider what “home” truly meant. The project calls up the primal memory of dwelling in caves: spaces of enclosure, safety, and belonging. Conceived as a refuge for the spirit, the residence lies within the rolling hills of Morelia, Michoacán, settling discreetly into the contours of the forest. In this gentle passage of time, it remains silent yet a quiet companion—a soft presence accompanying its inhabitants with calm.
➤ Fachada
➤ Guardian
➤ Comedor
Throughout history, whenever humanity has faced fear and uncontrollable threat, instinct has driven us to seek protection. Like a frightened child pulling up a blanket, peeking through a narrow slit, such gestures betray a deep desire for shelter. Translating this archetype, HW Studio shaped the building as a fold in the landscape, a pause in the topography. The volume covers life within like an earthen mantle, quietly sheltering daily existence. Concrete walls, precisely embedded in the undulating site, sometimes recede into the terrain and at other moments rise gently. Two of them hold back the soil that forms the hill; two others frame the entrance, guiding visitors through a carefully choreographed, silent passage.
➤ Pasillo interior
➤ Pasillo
➤ Fachada
➤ Pasillo interior
➤ Interior
➤ Recamara
➤ Habitacion
➤ Detalle
One linear wall bends to yield to a mature tree—not as an aesthetic flourish but as an act of deference to the site’s ecology. Descending a flight of stone steps and pushing open a heavy steel door, visitors enter an interior where the outside world falls away. Beneath the hill, a vaulted concrete ceiling encloses a hushed space, evoking the density and protection of a cave. The layout reinforces this duality. Public areas are set within the folds of the facade, opening outward to meet the forest. Cabinetry conceals all appliances, including the refrigerator, while wooden flooring absorbs the scent of surrounding pines. Private rooms gather around a closed courtyard, where only the sky and treetops hint at the world beyond. By stripping away everything superfluous, the architecture suspends time. There are no distractions, no objects to anchor the present. Here, life unfolds slowly, offering a quiet reminder for contemporary living to soften its pace, embrace imperfection, and rediscover beauty in stillness.
➤ Recamara
