Going back to 2014, we visit the Sierra Madre mountains that surround Monterrey in Mexico, where Japanese architect Tadao Ando reimagined the formal elements of a traditional hacienda to create a minimalist concrete family home—his first residential project in Latin America.

Geometric design reigns supreme throughout this brutalist dwelling, and despite being equipped with a perfect geometry of smooth planes and elegant cantilevers, the house does not dismiss the unruliness of the surrounding landscape, as Ando looked to incorporate the environment’s natural elements as much as possible.

Measuring a grand 1500m² and positioned 900 metres above sea level, Casa Monterrey may be an imposing structure, but it also lets the surrounding rocky landscape take centre stage, playing a strong supporting role.

Equally understated and spectacular, the home is another example of Ando’s enduring minimalist aesthetic and his ability to use light as a sculptural element. The distant mountains of Sierra Las Mitras are framed perfectly for viewing, and as we descend the floating staircase, the view gradually shifts inward to the triangular courtyard that features a cantilevered swimming pool overlooking the distant mountains.