![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_hero2-852x479.jpg)
Swimming pool flows between courtyard walls of Mexico's Casa Xólotl
Masonry walls partition a patio and create various swimming areas at this renovated Mexican residence by Punto Arquitectónico.
Casa Xólotl is a single-storey home in Mérida, which was overhauled by local firm Punto Arquitectónico after finding the home in disrepair.
![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_col_12-852x569.jpg)
The studio renovated the house by dramatically transforming it into two separate volumes with a courtyard, forming a 1,776-square-foot (165-square-metre) plan.
![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_col_48-852x569.jpg)
A detached master suite, with a bedroom and bathroom, is located to the rear of the property and is linked to the main living space by a walled-in patio.
Original stone walls and a refurbished cistern feature in the courtyard, along with a swimming pool that fits into the gaps formed by the structural elements.
![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_col_15-852x1277.jpg)
"As a result, the placement of the master bedroom, and the preexisting house and a traditional cistern, the pool becomes the main element of the patio," said the studio.
The facade of the cistern includes a waterfall feature where a door once stood, and steps lead down from an outdoor lounge into the shallow pools.
![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_col_9-852x569.jpg)
"The enveloping materials of the house combine new textures with the original textures, generating contrast with the marks product of the passage of time," said the studio.
![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_col_23-852x569.jpg)
"The interior-exterior boundary between the hammock social area and the terrace is accentuated by exposing the stone material that composes the dividing wall."
![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_col_51-852x569.jpg)
The studio kept the original construction of the street-facing residence, but the rear addition reduced the home's original backyard by half.
Inside the main volume is a foyer, a bedroom and a bathroom in the first bay. Next is a kitchen with a dining area, and a separate lounge nearby. Sliding glass doors lead to an outdoor area with couches and lounge chairs near the water's edge.
![Casa Xólotl by Punto Arquitectónico](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/06/casa-xolotl-punto-arquitectonico-architecture-residential-mexico_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x479.jpg)
The house is on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, which has a tropical climate that lends itself to outdoor living.
Other houses in the area include a cream-coloured residence with steel colonnades to form an outdoor hallway by Desnivel Arquitectos, a small holiday home built on a sandy lot by David Cervera, and a two-storey residence with slatted walls for shade by Tescala Architects.
Photography is by Tamara Uribe.
Project credits:
Project architects: Alejandra Molina Gual, José Israel Ramírez Segura, Mauricio Rosales Aznar, Claudia Vera
Construction: Central Constructora
Structural calculation: IESE, Emanuel Solis, Julio Baeza
Desig team: Cristina Cámara. Rolando Lizárraga, Maricruz Alcalá, Estéfani Luis, Estephania Lugo, Christopher Estrella, Manuel Ferrer