The Lo Giudice, Hoffman, Miller, Rivers House - Zihuatanejo, Guerrero
Architect: Lo Guidice
There is a lack of outside walls - as is often seen in the tropics - resulting in uninterrupted views of a garden lushly furnished with orchids, bouganvilla, hyacinth, and hibiscus.
The roof is thatched, and it is designed to withstand typhoons. The local palm thatch is distributed in dense layers providing excellent insulation: the bleached surface facing the sky has good reflective properties, and the myriad airpockets within prevent the transmission of heat. The structure is a local rough-out hardwood that still looks as good as new, and is so hard that nails could not penetrate it unless holes were predrilled.
