Mexican Architect Envisions Residence Overlooking The Pyramids

Whether it’s through still imagery or motion picture, there’s no getting used to the sight of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Regardless of how familiar we think we are with them, people still fly from all over the world to get the chance to gaze at them in wonder. Now imagine waking up to that view, framed by embroidered golden brown curtains and palm trees towering from the courtyard below with the sound of water crashing down from the upper deck. Sounds surreal, yeah? That’s what Mexican architect Pedro Ochoa imagined when creating a conceptual house overlooking the World Wonder.Drawing from the nearby inspiration, the residence was designed with massive scale in mind. Ceilings are extremely high and in-pool daybeds are placed in front of gigantic arches to view the ancient structures. Throughout the design, the palette is sandy and neutral to show respect and humility - an approach to colour Ochoa shares with almost every other designer who imagined or actually built a contemporary space adjacent to these engineering gems.

The designer created many plunge pools in his design from the courtyard, which is enclosed by the building from all sides with light beaming through gaps in the architecture, to the upper deck, which hosts a seating area sunken into the water feature. A theme that remains consistent in Ochoa’s visualisations is that of overlapping geometric forms to create linear compositions. In digital Cairo, he accentuated the linearity with latticework, creating an outrageously serene setting to view the pyramids.