- Architecture
An intimate place where you can stay surrounded by peace and that is inspired by the untouched nature of Mexico: you would be interested in less. This is the description of La Ventana, a project of architectural firm Espacio 18 Arquitectura that was finished in 2022. Imagicasa is fascinated by the round nature of the special units and is happy to share this fascination with you.
Espacio 18 Arquitectura is not a studio of words, but of actions. The company was founded by Carla Osorio and Mario Ávila and can already look back on a nice trajectory. This time, they arrived in Baja California Sur, a state in Mexico. On a surface area of 800 square metres they designed a small-scale hotel with a special concept that aims at international high-end tourism. The primary idea behind the design was to reflect the shape of a cactus since the nearby surroundings heavily represent this plant. Next to this, the extreme climate, sunset, earthy tones, and the clarity of the sea were important factors that acted as incentives behind the entire project. La Ventana is meant, as it were, to be a cactus that arises from the rocks; to be the product of a stimulating environment with an untouchable authenticity. For the client it was essential that La Ventana would become an address where people come and learn something about the location and the nearby village. Furthermore, it is meant to become a space of rest where guests can practice yoga, but also engage in more active occupations. 
One of the most striking characteristics is the circular shape of the buildings. This is a direct influence of the cacti in the landscape and mimics the top view of the plants. The strong north wind, the views, and the desert landscape to a large extent determined which expectations the hotel and its designs would have to meet. For this reason, guests find here much privacy, as well as an optimal experience of the surrounding nature and the elements. The studio also considered the desired luxury of course, so you can expect inviting swimming pools and cosy fireplaces. Considering the extreme weather turned out to be essential again with the selection of materials. Therefore, they used a mixture of plaster and desert sand, among others. This was an ideal way to create extra texture at the same time. Moreover, the team decided to work with tropical wood. This resulted in a beautiful combination with the rich sunsets and the rocks. Remarkably, these materials require very little maintenance and thus support the idea that you are staying in unspoiled nature. This tendency was continued in the selection of furniture since only a minimum of maintenance is needed here as well. Next to this, the pieces contain a timeless elegance that enhances the authenticity of the stay with luxurious comfort.
Timeless elegance enhances the authenticity with luxurious comfort
For Espacio 18 Arquitectura, La Ventana is the first of several exclusive projects, but this obviously does not mean the designing of the hotel was spared of difficult aspects. The extreme weather conditions were not only an element of inspiration, but also a challenge not to be underestimated. In addition, it was an interesting ambition to focus the project on women primarily. More specifically, the team wanted to come to a design that felt like an extension of nature and captured femininity in doing so. The result leaves no room to doubt that this ambition was carried out to a satisfying end. By following ecological technologies, they are dealing with extremely low carbon emissions. The hotel clearly does not stop at using natural materials and a pure environment, but also actively engages with the conversation surrounding sustainability. 
The future of Espacio 18 Arquitectura looks very promising. Context and location always play an essential role in their designs, but this only happens with the necessary respect. They hope to continue this for a long time to come and, in this way, they refer to the advice that they would give their younger selves, namely that consistency and passion create the possibility to build anything you want. La Ventana is prolific proof of this.
Do you want to know more about La Ventana? Read the full article in Imagicasa Autumn 2022.
Visualisations by OZU Estudio