Casa 13 began as a shared vision. Margarita López Cruz and José Manuel Martín Amate – both architects and founders of studio AHÁ – met the day José Manuel arrived in Tulum on 13 August. From that point on, the number 13 began to follow them, quietly but persistently.
Over time, they noticed it reappearing in their homes and at key moments in their lives, coming to see it not as a symbol of bad luck, but as a meaningful sign of alignment. ‘We know Tulum very well and, in 2021, when land prices were rising rapidly, we felt this plot represented a strong opportunity in terms of cost and potential,’ Margarita explains.
Another factor that convinced them was the position, which offered a range of spatial possibilities. ‘We loved that it was a corner lot,’ she adds. ‘It allowed us to work with different orientations.’ Located in the jungle that surrounds the coastal town, within the broader landscape of the Riviera Maya, Casa 13 was conceived as a holiday residence that dissolves the boundary between building and environment.
As both owners and architects, the pair wanted to ‘pour all of our knowledge and sensibility into creating something close to a liveable sculpture’. Rather than following a conventional layout, the building is organised as a fragmented spatial sequence. Volumes are staggered and rotated to open towards framed views, skylights and generous terraces.
The result is a house that constantly expands beyond its limits and that unfolds through a composition of folded walls, curves and straight lines. The climate is not treated as something to resist but rather helps to shape the building, with cross-ventilation embedded into the architecture.
The project also adapts carefully to its site. To avoid the need to clear the land, the design weaves around existing trees. ‘We wanted life to flow naturally between interior and exterior,’ Margarita explains.
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Material choices reinforce this rootedness; the palette is restrained, but rich in texture. Chukum – an ancient-Mayan technique – is used as a water-resistant, pink-toned finish that wraps the interior. ‘We wanted it to envelop guests almost like a second skin, while the monochromatic palette, the curves and the landscaping create a soothing atmosphere,’ Margarita says. Floors are made of Crema Maya limestone, and some stones come directly from the excavation of the site. Tzalam wood adds warmth across carpentry, furniture and custom-built elements.
Every object in the house was designed especially for it, with the couple sharing interior-design duties. They collaborated closely with artisans to develop bespoke pieces. ‘The real challenge,’ Margarita says, ‘was achieving that level of design and comfort through custom prototypes. We both brought strong furniture- design and production experience – Martín from his years in Spain, and I from running a furniture store, where we worked with craftspeople across Mexico.’
One of the most distinctive spaces is the pool. Inspired by Mucuyché, a hacienda near Tulum, it is envisioned as ‘a cenote carved and shaped by nature at the bottom of a canyon, with Philodendron radiatum climbing along the walls’. The vegetation has grown over time, reinforcing the space’s character.
Casa 13 operates as a guesthouse for up to eight people, where architecture becomes an experience. ‘The sunsets from the rooftop are spectacular,’ Margarita says. Today, the house stands as both home and experiment – a reflection on coincidence, craftsmanship and landscape, shaped by two designers who turned a number into a narrative. casa13.mx; @casa13_tulum
