You’d be forgiven for mistaking Casa Seattle for a remote rainforest retreat – but this contemporary villa is actually ensconced in central Guadalajara, Mexico.

‘What’s the point in making a European-style house, when we have this climate?’ asks its architect, Manuel Vizcaíno de la Peña. Sited on a slope, the 500 sq m villa makes the most of the dry winters and hot summers, with sliding glass walls that open out onto the property’s leafy surrounds.

Arranged as a ‘stack’ of ascending open-plan volumes, Casa Seattle is set over three storeys.

‘The main concept behind the house was to frame the views,’ Vizcaíno explains. ‘There are about 50 3D perforations across the property that give continuous views, draw light inside and give the house a transparent feeling.’

A large eat-in kitchen, dining area and living room fill the main floor, while five bedrooms and five bathrooms spread across the upper levels, capped by a curbed roof that houses an open loft lounge.

Recalling Paulo Mendes da Rocha’s Casa no Butantã, the house’s concrete and steel bones have been left exposed, softened by traditional Mexican ceramic floor tiles and teak.

Casa Seattle – on the market via Boutique Homes – can be yours for $980,000.