With a little luck and $60, a home designed by Alejandro Aravena could be yours. Named Elemental House, the 6,000-square-foot Monterrey home was recently announced as the grand prize inSorteos Tec Tradicional, an annual raffle that raises money for scholarships for students at Tecnológico de Monterrey, a private university in Mexico. Raffle tickets cost just over $60 dollars ($1,200 Mexican pesos), and included with the home is two Mercedes Benzes and an additional cash prize, making the total package worth around $3.8 million.
“This house made for Sorteos Tec transforms architectural value into lottery tickets that will improve the quality of life for hundreds of young people,” Aravena said in a statement. “That is what one as an architect seeks to achieve all the time: to contribute to the common good through a work.”
Alejandro Aravena, who leads the firmElemental, won architecture’s most prestigious award, the Pritzker Prize, in2016. His firm is celebrated for its experimental use ofconcrete, and this newest design is no exception. Inspired by dramatic, monolithic castles, the modernist home is defined by a circular concrete volume fit with various cutouts throughout the facade. The base features full-height glass windows that look over the lawn anda pool. Split among three levels, the primary suite makes up the top floor and includes an attached patio framed bymountain views. Ana Landa, a Mexico-based interior designer and founder of Línea Vertical, designed the interiors, which make use of organic materials and a dark color palette.
This is the 213rd time Sorteos Tec Tradicional has raffled off a residence, often partnering with iconic architects who design and donate a home to the charity. This year, funds from the raffle will be donated directly toLeaders of Tomorrow(Lideres del Mañana), an organization that provides scholarships to students. Since 2013, the charity has served more than 1,700 students.
This year’s second place prize includes a condo inCancún, and the third place prize is a check worth roughly $672,000. Other winners could take home luxury cars from brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. The lottery closes on December 22.
