“To me, this house is the ultimate modernity dream come true,” says Fernando Romero of the two-story, mid-century gem he calls home. “It is extremely flexible for all types of activities: for family, for socializing, for living.” Designed in 1955 by homegrown architect Francisco Artigas, the house is located in the leafy suburbs of Mexico City, adjacent to one of largest city parks in the Western Hemisphere, Bosque de Chapultepec. Romero has lived in the house with his wife and five children since 2010, yet this is the first time anybody has been granted access to document his private family villa. Before founding his architecture practice FR-EE in 2000, Romero—along with Bjarke Ingels and Ole Scheeren—began his career at OMA as a protégé of Dutch starchitect Rem Koolhas. Recognized for his futuristic aesthetic and his sustainable agenda, Romero’s impressive Soumaya Museum in downtown Mexico City is a curvaceous, aluminum-tiled building that houses the world-class art collection of telecommunications billionaire, Carlos Slim, who also happens to be his father in-law. Next, Romero is putting the finishing touches on the Miami Chapel in Florida, a museum in Panama, and a Contemporary Art Museum in Tulum. “The underground Mexico City Aquarium near the Soumaya is expected to be completed in a few months time too, and we are also doing heavy research and design for a 21st-century city for emerging economies: the FR-EE City!”

Can you tell us about the home’s architect, Francisco Artigas? 
Fernando Romero: He was a Mexican autodidact architect mainly known for developments in the wealthy Pedregal and San Ángel neighborhoods south of Mexico City. The architecture is strongly influenced by Artigas’ contemporary, the California-based Richard Neutra.

Tell us about the layout of the house?
FR: I like that the house has a very efficient L-shaped two-story floor plan organizing the private spaces on the upper floor, while all public and social spaces are located at the ground floor. A double-height interior patio covered by a skylight provides natural lighting to both stories, while the social areas are directly connected to the garden and an outdoor pool.

Is the architecture typical for the neighborhood?
FR: This house is a small surprise because these types of villas were more popular in the southern Pedregal and San Ángel neighborhoods of the city.

Did you make any changes to the house when you moved in?
FR: On the contrary, for my family and me, it was all about preserving it and taking good care of it.

What is your idea of the perfect house?
FR: At this moment in my life, an invisible house.