Imagine your own private luxury swimming pool both isolated from the adjacent rocky ocean beach but also elevated far above it with amazing views out in every direction. This beautiful beachfront house makes the most of its proximity to the water as well as its lofty position on an adjacent hillside.

On the rural coast of Mexico, the Universe House by Tatiana Bilbao and Gabriel Orozco is the ultimate getaway home – but is unfortunately not for rent or sale, leaving the lucky owners to relax and vacation whenever they wish. Viewed from above the simple layout is very clear: four living spaces with corner courtyards around the central swimming pool feature.

A combination of cozy and private residential spaces below contrasts sharply with the wide-open vistas available from the common patio pool area above. The house design itself is actually based on an astronomical observatory plan taken to new extremes, replacing the observational core with a dynamic rooftop deck design.

Despite its luxury accommodations and modern layout the simple wood-and-white color scheme, rusticated materials and curved surfaces make this beach house design seem more timeless than particularly modern – relaxing and comfortable in its unpretentious details and decor.

“The project is based on the Jantar Mantar Astronomical Observatory, which was built in Delhi in 1724. I first visited that observatory in 1996,” Orozco tells Abitare. “It took a little time for me to understand that I wanted a house inspired by that example, so I needed an architect who could help me with the permits, with the engineering, the construction and of course with the technical drawings. The main ideas, the whole concept – and also the circulation within, the distribution and the measurement of the rooms – all derive from that initial decision. Tatiana was perfect or the realization of this house. Her office was in charge of drawing up the detailed plans, and then we had a local engineer on site. He was able to put together the team who built the house. Some of the stones and material were brought by a donkey called ‘panchito,’ and they gave him a lot of beer so he could keep working.”