After their children had built lives of their own, a couple from rural Zarcero envisioned a compact mountain shelter where their grandchildren could return, gather, and grow memories together. When one of their sons first saw the early sketch, he laughed and said it resembled a “cusuca” — the local armadillo — and the house found its name.

Inspired by the Nordic A-frame typology the couple admired, the project reinterprets the form to welcome light and views toward the agricultural fields that the family has cultivated for two generations.

Conceived as a 30 m² micro-refuge with a 12 m² mezzanine, Casa Cusuca is small in footprint but generous in experience. It features two full bathrooms, and a living room that transforms into a complete bedroom through a Murphy bed system. Above, the open mezzanine adapts as either an additional bedroom or a barrack-style sleeping area for multiple children — a space designed for laughter, stories, and shared childhood adventure.

Clad in black on the exterior and pristine white inside, the cabin balances shelter and openness: its dark shell absorbs warmth during Zarcero’s cool nights, while its luminous interior expands the sense of space, offering a bright and welcoming refuge for the family’s next generation.

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