Houses designed by Arkham Projects
By Arkham Projects · Published on · Data reviewed on
Arkham Projects, founded in Mérida in 2013, has designed single-family houses in Mérida, Yucatán, such as Wóolis (2021, 450 m²), winner in the Private Homes category of the 2024 International Architecture Awards by The Chicago Athenaeum, and Casa Akúun (2020, 1,028 m²). Each house starts from its plot and from how its residents live.
The table lists the houses in Arkham Projects' published portfolio with the data from each project page: city, year, area, construction status and awards with public evidence. As they are private homes, they are located by city only. When a project page does not give the area or the status, the table shows a dash instead of an estimate.
Which houses has Arkham Projects designed?
| Project | Location | Year | Area (m²) | Status | Verified awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Donna | Mérida | 2023 | 905 (built area) | Built | — |
| Casa Magmol | Mérida | 2023 | 596.58 (built area) | Built | — |
| Casa Mulix | Mérida | 2023 | 793.94 (built area) | Built | |
| Casa Alpha | Mérida | 2021 | 704.76 (built area) | Built | — |
| Wóolis | Mérida | 2021 | 450 | Built | |
| Casa Akúun | Mérida | 2020 | 1,028 (built area) | Built | |
| Casa Relo | Mérida | 2020 | 505 (built area) | Built | — |
| Altozano | Mérida | 2019 | — | Built | — |
| Casa Allegra | Mérida | 2019 | — | — | — |
| Casa TMZN | Mérida | 2019 | 900 | Built | — |
| Casa Mrvl | Mérida | 2017 | — | — | — |
| Casa OM | Mérida | 2016 | 340 (built area) | — | — |
Features that recur across the portfolio
Courtyards that organize the house: a courtyard with a poplar tree separates the public and private areas of Casa Akúun, Casa Mulix has a triple-height central courtyard and Casa Relo is organized around interior courtyards.
Seen in: Casa Akúun, Casa Mulix, Casa Relo
Volumes that seem to float: Casa Alpha is a concrete refuge floating over the plot's vegetation, and the façade volume of Casa Mulix appears to float above its first level, opening to the views or closing for privacy.
Seen in: Casa Alpha, Casa Mulix
Lattices as part of the design: the lattice top of Wóolis' cylinder casts sun patterns on the walls, Casa Mulix has a wooden lattice volume and Casa OM a lattice of precast concrete pieces made on site.
Seen in: Wóolis, Casa Mulix, Casa OM
The sun as a starting point: the relationship with the sun is the concept of Casa TMZN, oriented east to west, and Casa Donna's main wall shields it from the southwest sun and creates interior gardens.
Seen in: Casa TMZN, Casa Donna
The plot's landscape in daily life: Casa Akúun merges interior and exterior and can be walked through from end to end, and Casa Alpha orients its social areas toward the views and the surrounding vegetation.
Seen in: Casa Akúun, Casa Alpha
Concrete as a recurring material, alone or with glass, steel or brick: from the curved concrete lattice over Wóolis' pool to the precast pieces cast on site in Casa OM.
Seen in: Wóolis, Casa OM, Casa Alpha, Casa Akúun, Casa Mulix, Casa Donna
References to Yucatán in the name or the design: Wóolis means «ball, sphere, circle» in Maya, after its central cylinder, and Casa OM uses a pattern inspired by henequen (sisal) textiles.
What Arkham considers when designing houses
- We start by getting to know the plot: orientation, vegetation, views, neighbors and regulations. The plot is the first input of the design, and we usually visit it together at the kick-off.
- Before drawing, we understand how you live: what you value, what excites you, what your routines are and how you imagine your life in that space. The house comes from there, not from a catalog.
- Light, orientation, materials and the relationship with the garden are decided in the design, not corrected during construction.
- Your house should not look like anyone else's. Not even like another Arkham house.
- We do not work with standard plans or mass-produced houses: every project starts from scratch, with you.
The projects, one by one
Casa DonnaSingle-family house · Mérida · 2023
Photo: Manolo Solís
Casa MagmolSingle-family house · Mérida · 2023
Photo: Manolo Solís
Casa MulixSingle-family house · Mérida · 2023
Photo: Manolo Solís
Casa AlphaSingle-family house · Mérida · 2021
Photo: Oscar Hernández
WóolisSingle-family house · Mérida · 2021
Casa AkúunSingle-family house · Mérida · 2020
Photo: Yoshihiro Koitani
Casa ReloSingle-family house · Mérida · 2020
Photo: Manolo Solís / César Béjar
AltozanoSingle-family house · Mérida · 2019
Casa AllegraSingle-family house · Mérida · 2019
Casa TMZNSingle-family house · Mérida · 2019
Casa MrvlSingle-family house · Mérida · 2017
Casa OMSingle-family house · Mérida · 2016
How big are the houses Arkham Projects designs?
According to Arkham Projects, its residential projects are mostly houses of about 400 to 600 m² of built area, although it has designed residences from about 200 m² to more than 1,000 m². The residential lots it works with are usually about 300 to 1,000 m², depending on the location. As a reference, the firm looks for projects from 400 m², but it is not a strict rule: it can consider smaller houses when their scope, complexity, budget or strategic relevance make them a good fit.
Most of its houses are in northern Mérida, in gated communities and areas such as Temozón Norte, Soluna, Montecristo, Pedregales de Montecristo, Silvestre, Provincia and the Country Club corridor. It has also designed residential projects and real estate developments in Tulum, Puerto Cancún, Baja California Sur and Nayarit, as well as abroad.
Frequently asked questions
What awards have Arkham Projects' houses won?
Among the houses in the portfolio, the awards with public evidence belong to Wóolis (Mérida, 2021): winner of Obra del Año 2021 by Obras magazine (Grupo Expansión) in mid-range and residential housing, where it also received an honorable mention; an Honorable Mention in Residential Architecture – Single Family at the 2022 Architecture MasterPrize; and winner in the Private Homes category of the 2024 International Architecture Awards by The Chicago Athenaeum.
Do I need to own a plot?
To design the house, yes: having a plot lets us develop the project from its specific conditions: orientation, shape, vegetation, context and regulations. If you do not have one yet, we can help you choose it.
How long does it take to design a house?
A schematic design (anteproyecto) is presented in 6 to 8 weeks. The complete construction documents (proyecto ejecutivo) depend on the size and complexity of the house; typically between 5 and 6 months.
Can I see finished houses before deciding?
Yes. We show you the complete portfolio and, when possible, we coordinate visits to finished houses.
Do you work outside Mérida?
Yes. We design houses anywhere in Mexico and the world. We coordinate remotely, with direct communication, and travel to the plot and to the site when the project requires it.
Sources
- Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, its residential projects are mostly houses of about 400 to 600 m² of built area, although it has designed residences from about 200 m² to more than 1,000 m²; the residential lots it works with are usually about 300 to 1,000 m². (accessed on October 2, 2026)
- Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, the minimum size of the projects it looks for is 400 m². (accessed on October 2, 2026)
- Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, its minimum sizes are a reference, not a strict rule: it can consider smaller projects when their scope, complexity, budget or strategic relevance make them a good fit. (accessed on October 2, 2026)
- Arkham Projects — According to Arkham Projects, most of its residential projects are in northern Mérida, in gated communities and areas such as Temozón Norte, Soluna, Montecristo, Pedregales de Montecristo, Silvestre, Provincia and the Country Club corridor; it has also designed in Tulum, Puerto Cancún, Baja California Sur and Nayarit, as well as abroad. (accessed on October 2, 2026)
Keep reading
- ServiceCustom home design in Mérida and beyond
Custom home design by Arkham Projects, founded in Mérida in 2013: who it is for, what is included, the four-step process and typical design timelines.
- Step by stepBuilding a house in Mérida as a foreigner
How a foreigner builds a house in Mérida: restricted zone, bank trust, SRE permit, notary, City permits, design and construction, with official sources.
- Cost guideHow much does it cost to build a house in Mérida?
What it costs to build a house in Mérida, Mexico: Arkham Projects' 2026 reference per m², the national range, what it excludes and a calculator.
- AwardsAwards and recognitions
Awards won by Arkham Projects, an architecture firm in Mérida, Mexico: competition, year, result and project, with a link to the evidence where available.
About Arkham Projects
Arkham Projects is an architecture firm founded in 2013 in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, by Min Peniche Calafell and Jorge Duarte Torre; it designs custom homes and architecture for real estate developments.
- more than 100 projects
- more than 70 national and international awards and recognitions
- founded in Mérida in 2013
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