House, Studio, or Spaceship? Agustín Hernández's Most Unusual Work | Praxis House

Author: Pablo Vazquez.

A lover of discovering new places and a workaholic, in short, an architect.

PROJECT:  Praxis House - Agustín Hernández's House-Studio.

ARCHITECT: Agustín Hernández.

PHOTOGRAPHY:  Flickr user: Omar Omar, scribd, My Memoirs, Moleskine Architectural, skyscrapercity

LOCATION: Bosque de las Lomas, CDMX, Mexico.

YEAR: 1975.

M2:  m2 aprox.

In the heart of the forest, perched atop a 40-meter ravine in one of Mexico City's most exclusive neighborhoods, stands a structure that seems to defy architectural logic. It's not exactly a house or a conventional studio, but rather a blend of habitable sculpture, futuristic capsule, and brutalist temple. This is Casa Praxis, the workshop and home of legendary Mexican architect Agustín Hernández, built in 1975 as a synthesis of form, function, and sculptural power.

Inspired by pre-Hispanic roots and tension-compression structural systems, this work is a living manifesto of its creator. More than a dwelling, it is a spatial laboratory where one thinks, lives, and creates. What secrets does this house, which seems to float among the trees, hold? Here we explore the five elements that make it one of the most unique constructions in contemporary Latin American architecture.

Architecture: A Suspended Sculptural Manifesto

Casa Praxis  is not only one of Agustín Hernández's most emblematic works, but also a declaration of architectural principles made tangible. Conceived as a workshop for creation and reflection, this building responds to the architect's personal quest: the perfect fusion of structure, form, and function. Its design does not follow a conventional style, but rather proposes a new way of inhabiting a space, in which space becomes the emotional and sensory protagonist.

Hernández conceived this work as an extension of his architectural thinking, where space is not imposed, but rather engages in dialogue with the body.

“If we are in a cubic room, we are a cube. If we are in a spherical space, we feel like a sphere.”

He once said, "At Casa Praxis , every space has a purpose: some invite rest, others action, and still others simply contemplation. All of this takes place within a suspended volume that defies gravity and redefines the meaning of habitability. Here, architecture is a holistic experience."

Materiality: Concrete and marble in tension and compression

Casa Praxis  is an ode to concrete, not only for its structural use but also for its sculptural capacity. Hernández employs it as a noble material, capable of generating striking forms, surfaces that capture light and convey a sense of permanence. The main volume is composed of four large prisms of exposed concrete, enriched with marble aggregate. Two of these elements are under compression, two under tension; two have a polished finish, the others a bush-hammered texture. This duality is not merely aesthetic but an essential part of the structural balance that keeps the house suspended over the ravine.

Far from concealing its structure, Hernández celebrates it. The concrete isn't hidden behind cladding: it's exposed, visible, and meant to be touched, like a Brutalist language that here acquires almost poetic connotations. Even lighter elements like the staircases—composed of triangular metal steps without railings—contrast with the density of the concrete, contributing visual lightness and reinforcing the almost levitating character of the work. This interplay between the dense and the ethereal defines the unique atmosphere of the place.

Form and circulation: Dynamic geometry and vertical path

The form of Casa Praxis is anything but conventional. Suspended more than 40 meters above the ground on a sloping site, this house-studio resembles a habitable sculpture more than a traditional residence. Its volume is constructed from four T-shaped elements rotated 60 degrees from the horizontal and anchored to a central structural core. The result is a composition that defies the laws of gravity, where the balance between tension and compression becomes a spatial narrative.

But beyond the formal spectacle, every decision responds to a functional and symbolic logic. Hernández draws inspiration from the palapas of Acapulco, from their tension-compression system, and translates this vernacular lesson into a monumental contemporary language. The internal circulation is articulated around a vertical core, with a metal spiral staircase without railings that culminates in a circular window, framing the landscape as if it were a living painting. The internal geometries vary: some spaces invite rest, others contemplation or action, in a spatial choreography that seeks, as the architect himself said, for "the space to take hold of us, and us of it."

Location: Integration with the wooded environment of Bosques de las Lomas

Casa Praxis is located in Bosques de las Lomas, one of Mexico City's most exclusive residential areas. This enclave, in the northwest of the capital, is characterized by its winding streets, abundant vegetation, and a striking topography that offers privileged views of the expansive Chapultepec Forest, the city's green lung. It is precisely on one of these slopes, hidden among the trees and suspended over a ravine more than 40 meters deep, that this building rises, which, far from imposing itself on the landscape, engages with it in a structural and symbolic dialogue.

The surrounding environment not only enhances the aesthetic experience of the house but is an integral part of its design. Access is via an elevated walkway that acts as a threshold between the everyday and the introspective, between the bustling city and the stillness of a suspended studio. From this elevated entrance, a vertical descent begins into the interior, following the natural slope of the land. This interaction with the site is not arbitrary: in Hernández's thinking, architecture not only inhabits a place but also interprets and transforms it. In this sense, Casa Praxis is not just an architectural object but also a profound reading of the landscape.

Visits: Access and public events

Casa Praxis , located at Bosque de Acacias 61, Bosques de las Lomas, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City , is a masterpiece of Mexican Brutalist architecture designed by Agustín Hernández in 1975. This residence-studio is distinguished by its sculptural design and its integration with the natural environment.

Although Praxis House  is a private property and not regularly open to the public, it has hosted cultural events and exhibitions that have allowed visits on special occasions. For example, in 2022, the Monterrey-based gallery PEANA collaborated with the architect to open the house to the public for the first time, presenting the exhibition "Underneath the Tree."

For those interested in learning more about this iconic building, it is recommended to keep an eye out for future exhibitions or cultural events that may offer access to Casa Praxis . In addition, various publications and online platforms offer virtual tours and detailed photographs that allow visitors to appreciate its unique architecture.

More than four decades after its construction, Casa Praxis remains a living lesson for architects, artists, and design enthusiasts. It reminds us that architecture can (and should) engage with its surroundings, provoke the visitor, and transcend its time.

Are you interested in learning about more works that redefine the way we inhabit our world?

Explore other articles from Focus Latinoamérica  and discover how architecture continues to tell invisible stories between concrete, nature, and memory.