Mexican architecture studio Void Studio has completed a small residential development in Tulum called Cuatro Cielos that features internal courtyards and exterior corridors that are designed to promote encounters among the residents. With a blank facade facing a residential street, the four-unit development was designed around internal courtyards.

"With a discreet facade, the architects devised a development that would open inwards, that would make a view of its own space, opening to its own forms, textures, colours, lights, shadows and vegetation," said Void Studio, an office based in Chihuahua and led by architects Fernanda Rodríguez and Joel Martínez.

Two units are on the ground floor and two are upstairs, each of which has its own pool or small water feature. Exterior corridors link the interiors of the development, and each of the units has its own exterior space. "It was important to make sure they knew they were in Tulum, that they lived the jungle, the heat, the ambient humidity and, of course, the skies," said architect Fernanda Rodriguez of Void Studio.

The units offer a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments. Some of the bedrooms are built as standalone structures, meaning that residents must pass through an exterior courtyard to access their quarters. Each unit has a unique layout, which the architects say helps the occupants identify with their living space. The two units on the ground floor are laid out on a single level, while the two upstairs units have an internal staircase, bringing the total height of the complex to three storeys. While the ground-floor units enjoy larger courtyards and pools, the upper-level apartments have rooftop terraces that overlook the surrounding jungle.