AMASA Estudio extends the life of a mid-century home
Casa Xoltic is the reform of a middle century home in Coyoacán, a historic residential neighborhood in the south Mexico City. Designed by AMASA Estudio, the project reshapes an existing residence through a series of spatial, material and programmatic interventions that adapt the house to contemporary domestic life while preserving its original structure.
Rather than replacing the building, the project focuses on extending its lifespan through transformation. The existing house remained largely intact, but its compartmentalized layout and underutilized spaces no longer supported modern living standards. The intervention reorganizes the relationship between rooms, traffic and outdoor spaces, creating a more continuous and adaptable domestic environment.
On the ground floor, social spaces, patios and circulation routes were reconfigured to enhance visual and spatial connections throughout the home. A series of interconnected rooms allow natural light and ventilation to reach deeper interiorwhile reducing reliance on closed corridors and segregated zones.
all images courtesy of AMASA Studio
Bejuco Screens and Millwork Define revived Casa Xoltic
The integrated olive mill plays a central role in the new spatial organization of AMASA Study. Custom joinery elements provide storage, define degrees of privacy and support daily activities without introducing additional partitions. Handmade bejuco details are incorporated into these elements, acting as filters and transitional devices that maintain visual continuity between adjacent spaces.
The material palette combines oak wood, terrazzo, natural textures and soft finishes. These materials contribute to a cohesive interior environment while emphasizing tactility and durability throughout the home. A major intervention takes place on the roof, where former service areas have been converted into a habitable terrace and studio space. The addition is constructed through a lightweight structural system that extends the residential program while maintaining the original building footprint.
Casa Xoltic shows how an existing residential structure can be adapted through targeted interventions rather than extensive reconstruction. Through spatial reorganization, integrated furnishing and reuse of the existing building fabric, the project explores alternative approaches to residential renovation within the established neighborhoods of Mexico City.
Casa Xoltic is renovating a mid-century home in Coyoacán, Mexico City
renovation focuses on adaptation rather than replacement
