WORDS Martin Jacobs PHOTOS Jamie Navarro and Fabian Martínez

“Hotel Terrestre is embedded in the landscape, as if it has been there for hundreds of years,” says architect Alberto Kalach of his otherworldly masterpiece, 25 kilometres northwest of resort town Puerto Escondido in the state of Oaxaca. Alberto knows a thing or two about this area. It may be a half-day’s drive from his Mexico City studio, Taller de Arquitectura X, but the pristine coastline famed for its surf is already home to a handful of his projects. So when approached by Carlos Couturier, co-founder of Mexican boutique hotel group Grupo Habita, to design a multi-sensorial property that redefines sustainable tourism, he jumped at the opportunity.

His environmentally sensitive approach to architecture has shaped several structures in the area, including Hotel Escondido and the award-winning restaurant Kakurega Omakase. These buildings hold their own in a landscape populated by hotspots like Casa Wabi, a retreat by starchitect Tadao Ando, and a permanent outdoor installation by artist Bosco Sodi.

READ MORE: Cool Spaces: Casona Sforza by Alberto Kalach

Having previously worked with Carlos, Alberto knew what to expect. The brand, known for introducing boutique hotels Habita and Condesa DF to the country’s capital, has 14 Mexican establishments, some designed by architectural luminaries such as India Mahdavi and Joseph Dirand. Alberto anticipated this project would differ greatly from Grupo Habita’s existing offering; what he couldn’t foresee was a somewhat mystical concept inspired by how aliens could imagine the dwellings of terrestrials on Earth.

Carlos believes that, in the age of domestic space travel, mankind remains pre-occupied with extra-terrestrial activity, and he wonders – as obsessed as we are with life in other galaxies – how we would be seen through the eyes of aliens. “The Earth is our most valued asset as humans,” he says. “Our goal is to preserve and enhance our land, to rethink wellness.”

“I conceived the hotel as a group of buildings hidden among the delicate vegetation,”explains Alberto, who oversaw the landscaping. He points out plant life rich in mesquite and oleander trees, bromeliads and orchids. “The existing vegetation remained untouched. We built in areas where there were no trees, and planting was done in areas that were naturally empty.” Surrounded by jungle, the Sierra Madre del Sur and the Pacific Ocean, the hotel offers uninterrupted views of all. It takes the form of two stepped blocks, each home to seven identical villas that guarantee equal guest experiences. Each villa houses a bedroom, outdoor bathroom and rooftop with pool. Additional on-site offerings include a dining pergola, a hammam, a stargazing platform and two swimming pools. “Water is an element that runs through the gardens, creating pools, ponds, cascading showers and a mystical spa,” says Alberto.

READ MORE: Madagascan Resort

With a sweep of the eye across these structures, it’s possible to conceive how aliens might regard our shelters. Terrestre’s forms are comparable with ancient ruins yet simultaneously appear futuristic. “A certain notion of antiquity, but also of futurism, characterises the architecture,”says Alberto.“Powered fully by solar energy, it plays with the sun and the wind.” The extent to which the structures are sustainable seems concurrently primal and forward-thinking. Alberto’s eco strategies include solar panels (“We gradually understood how many panels and batteries we needed”) and passive cooling (“We’ve replaced air conditioning with slatted shutters and fans”). He explains how solar-heated water is distributed to the rooms from an elevated tank; how motion sensors trigger interior lighting to minimise power consumption; how using locally sourced natural materials aids sustainability. “Clay, sand, mud brick that’s sand-coloured and handmade in Puebla, and Oaxaca’s native maqui wood were all used,” he says.

That the hotel runs on circadian rhythms acknowledges a primal time when man, nature and architecture interacted harmoniously. But it also proposes this “throwback” as a considered take on contemporary luxury – a sanctuary rich in opportunities to disconnect from technology, and connect with nature and oneself.

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Located on the shores of Oaxaca, Mexico Casona Sforza by Alberto Kalach of Taller de Arquitectura X appears a sandcastle risen from the natural landscape; a romantic composition of vaults, volumes and luxuriant essentials amidst mangroves and rolling waves unhindered by artifice.

Mexican architect Alberto Kalach, whose career has focused on creating site-specific works that complement their natural environment, aptly designed Casona Sforza‘s interior and exterior spaces to appear as if they were carved from the coastal sand. Outside, three volumes made up of ten vaults make arched rests for the sky. The volumes precede an azure moon of a swimming pool and gaze onto the Pacific Ocean.

Inside, the earth-toned theme continues in partitions, coatings and organic shapes. Concrete and wooden beams divide spaces to afford an interplay of heights – single, double and triple. Each affords interaction with the surroundings: temperature, solar path and ocean acoustics.

Furnishings feature a treasure trove of local artisan crafts: rugs from Teotitlán del Valle; textiles from the Oaxaca Valley; hammocks, chairs and curtains from Yucatán and palm lamps from Veracruz. All of which are combined with curious from the Oaxacan mountains made by potters, cabinetmakers, farmers and beekeepers in the Pueblo del Sol workshops – a sustainable production project supported by Casona Sforza.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Check out its bush equivalent: Sabi Sands Lodge Cheetah Plains.

h/t: archdaily.com

The post Cool Spaces: Casona Sforza by Alberto Kalach appeared first on Visi.

Alayne Reesberg, who is heading up the WDC2014, will kick off the workshops and highlight a few of the exciting projects coming up next year (read more about the WDC2014 programme here). Three workshop sessions facilitated by Mokena Makeka, Amira Osman and Luyanda Mpahlwa will follow, with keynote speakers presenting during these sessions.

Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi, who made international headlines with his floating school (watch the video below), will surely be a highlight. Alberto Kalach from Mexico, Nina Maritz from Namibia and Mick Pearce from Zimbabwe will further the global discussion. Not to forget our world-class locals including Y Tsai, Heinrich Wolff, Erky Wood and Henri Comrie.

During the two days of workshops, an exhibition showing the design and trade aspects of the architectural profession will be staged. Expect to see the work of merited members of the regional architectural institutes, as well as the academic work from selected schools, right alongside the finishes, utilities and decoration that go into the building process.

www.architectureza.org

Read our coverage of AZA2012 here.

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