Although there is no exact record of the specific moment in which Puerto Escondido began to become a reference of contemporary Mexican architecture, various waves have been experienced. Perhaps the first one started in 2016 when the construction of Casa Wabi began, a Tadao Ando project where the Mexican office BAAQ´ collaborated as associates to develop the executive project and coordinate its construction. However, in 2019 another wave was experienced that was later reinforced by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and remote work, which radically aroused interest in returning to the provinces and costs where there was less population and overcrowding.
Currently, Puerto Escondido is one of the most visited destinations annually by tourists worldwide for different reasons such as the cultural, and gastronomic offers but especially for the natural wealth that extends on the Oaxaca coast offering different experiences. This port has a warm subhumid climate with an average temperature of 27°C, it is located 800 kilometers southeast of Mexico City and 290 kilometers from the capital of Oaxaca. It is currently the most populous city on the Oaxaca coast.
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Currently, there are many characteristics that have inspired both Mexicans and worldwide architects to build some of the most iconic works in the region that continue to proliferate. Below you will find a list of projects published in Archdaily which have become milestones of contemporary architecture in the area. Some of them are possible to visit by appointment, as is the case of Casa Wabi, others function as hotels and you can only access them with a reservation, we recommend you carefully review each of the cases.
House TO / Ludwig Godefroy Architecture
"The project was outlined under the imprint of simplicity and conceptual elegance, where tradition and avant-garde are amalgamated in an unprecedented structure embraced by the tranquility of nature. Its name, Casa TO, arises from the idea of serene contemplation in a defined space, as the reinterpretation of an Oaxacan temple, which generates a radical sensory experience just by entering it." For more info visit casato.mx.
Hotel Terrestre / Taller de Arquitectura X / Alberto Kalach
"The complex is made up of seven buildings consisting of fourteen interconnected villas, each with its own private pool. These buildings are immersed in the exuberant flora and fauna of the Oaxacan rainforest, offering impressive views in all directions. “Hotel Terrestre” seeks to be a place for nature and wellness lovers, offering guests relaxation and reconnection through simplicity, beauty, and leisure. One of the main design axes was sustainability and the use of locally sourced materials that would reduce the environmental footprint of the project. In addition, climate control methods achieved through innovative construction techniques replace the dependence on air conditioning." For more information visit terrestrehotel.com.
Sforza House / Taller de Arquitectura X / Alberto Kalach
Located in front of the Pacific Coast and immersed in the landscape of La Barra de Colotepec, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, and designed by the Mexican architect Alberto Kalach, Sforza House develops from the idea of being aware of the environment, the contemplation and respect for the environment that is described as a “(…) place on the Oaxacan coast –where the delta of the Colotepec river converges with the sea– the sabines, the mangroves, the tulles and the oaks embrace this exuberant refuge to privilege a reunion with the essential and natural beauty without artifice." For more information visit casonasforza.com.
Casa Cova / anonimous
"Located in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, Casa Cova is arranged on a 100 meters long by 35 meters wide lot between the Pacific Ocean and the Oaxacan mountain range, only 70 meters from the coast. The project program was designed as a two-family vacation home, which involved the creation of two different compounds of private rooms that are connected through common recreational areas."
La Escondida Apartments / Francisco Pardo Arquitecto
"This housing arrangement adapts to the existing topography, it follows it. Maximum density, maximum privacy, maximum view. The units feel like houses, not apartments due to topography and large outside terraces. All units have the best possible view, in this case, is the Pacific Ocean."
Volta House / Ambrosi I Etchegaray
"The first thing one notices approaching Casa Volta are three brick vaults floating in the middle of the dense Oaxacan coastal vegetation. Maybe it is just a mirage provoked by the heat and humidity of this place. Afterward, following a small path deep into the vegetation, the vaults disappear. Then a clearing opens, and surprisingly a small bench appears next to a long pond surrounded on both sides by symmetrical columns and its reflections on the water. It seems that one has arrived at an abandoned classical temple." For more information visit Casa Volta.
Naila House / BAAQ'
"The house sits on a rocky point, as a beacon to the sea, with two fronts towards the Pacific coast. The cross-shaped courtyard has four seven-meter-high volumes, with a pitched roof that frames views to the sea. The conceptual process started from the idea of defining two compositional axes, creating a cross-shaped patio that articulates the 4 volumes of the project. These volumes were key to achieving an adequate integration between the architecture and its immediate surrounding. The different angles in the plan and section that configure the volumes were designed with the purpose of allowing the user to have ocean views from any room, and formally merge with the rocky landscape of the beach." For more information visit Casa Naila.
Casa cosmos / S-AR
"Cosmos House is a small house placed nearby Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The house is composed of three main elements. The first element is a center or hard nucleus, built with concrete slabs and columns with a brutal finish. It shelters the habitable space under the roof: a reduced program that includes one bedroom, kitchen-dining room, living, and bathroom. Each of them occupies a quadrant of an almost perfect squared floor plan." For more information visit Casa Cosmos.
Casa Malandra / TAC Taller Alberto Calleja
"Two volumes offset from each other define the configuration and dynamics of this typical patio house, containing part of the existing vegetation, to which we include a natural water space, generating a new microclimate. Both volumes assembled from their structure of concrete walls and wooden facades are connected through a pergola that filters the light from the patio. The long sides extend towards the sea and the mountains, allowing an unlimited dialogue with the territory on all its ventilated faces." For more information visit casamalandra.com.
Wabi House / Tadao Ando Architect and Associates
"Wabi House is a project by architect Tadao Ando, where BAAQ' collaborated as associate architect on the development of the executive project and construction coordination. It is located on the coast of Oaxaca 30 minutes from the city of Puerto Escondido on a site of 25 hectares. Wabi House is a foundation created by the artist Bosco Sodi which aims to promote the exchange of ideas between artists of various disciplines and local communities." Para más información visita casawabi.org.
Zicatela / Taller de Arquitectura X / Alberto Kalach
"Casa Zicatela by Alberto Kalach is a project that is developed as a base of a series of concrete slabs that are connected by a side ladder that supports the columns that extend to the bottom of a pool. Surrounded by a landscape design, this house located on the coast of Oaxaca, embraces the space, mimicking it with its context, and stands silently." For now, Casa Zicatela functions as a private residence.
Escondido / Taller de Arquitectura X / Alberto Kalach
"Escondido is a housing project designed by Taller de Arquitectura X directed by Alberto Kalach. Located in Puerto Escondido, in the Oaxaca area, it is located on a longitudinal site parallel to the Pacific Ocean. The set consists of 74 cabins arranged on a regular geometry site disposition overlooking the sea. Each cabin was designed based on a simple wooden structure, reticulated in modules of 3x3 mt, concentrating the wet core at the center of the house, to leave a bedroom and common area at opposite ends with views of the landscape and a wide perimeter covered terrace. Using the same modulation, other rooms were allocated to kitchen and dining services." For more information visit hotelescondido.com.
Altanera House / Taller Alberto Calleja
"Casa Altanera is located within the Onda Oaxaca complex, in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. The plot has an area of 2,500m2, with a minimal slope. The house covers fifteen percent of a total of a twenty-five-meter rectangle facing the sea with a distance of one hundred meters towards the north. The process of monitoring the reforestation in the area was established as a natural and primary objective of the project, contributing to the regenerative process which is the context in which our project is located." For more information visit casaaltanera.com.
On a fortnightly basis, at ArchDaily we explore new territory with the series Architecture in Mexico in an effort to decentralize the architecture of big cities and make visible the new practices that take place in different latitudes of the country. Would you like to publish your work, submit an article? or send comments? Contact us through our form here.
