HELD IN TRUST: G R O U N D E D I N T H E L A N D THE EARTH ITSELF SERVES AS A NATURAL THERMAL AND ACOUSTIC INSULATOR. TEMPERATURES REMAIN BETWEEN 66 O AND 70 O FAHRENHEIT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. M E X I C O 1 9 9 5 Although spatially linked on the sloping site, each of the four houses has its own pedestrian and vehicular access, its own garage and its own garden. Floor plans resemble a six-petaled flower with a central hub on which the peripheral rooms converge. During the day, the sliding wooden doors of the bedrooms can be opened to create a free-flowing plan; at night, they are closed to provide privacy. Large, irregularly shaped windows and constellations of round skylights bring the sunshine in. Reddish-hued clay tile floors underscore the homes’ fundamental connection to the Earth, and the flowing oneness of walls and ceilings adds to the experience of unrestricted space. Built-in seating follows the curve of the walls, and the kitchen and bathrooms are located along the perimeter, amplifying the essential openness of the spaces. “The interiors,” says Senosiain, “are designed to be harmonious and nurturing. They are concave spaces – like a hug or a shelter – that offer a sense of physical and psychological protection. Straight lines hardly exist in nature. The horizon is curved, gravity curves movement, everything turns in spirals, from the microcosm, such as the cells in our bodies, to the macrocosm, such as the universe and large galaxies. This causes human beings, consciously or unconsciously, to feel more attracted to these organic forms and spaces.”