Thick walls of rammed-earth and large, exposed terraces show contrasts between “shelter and openness” at this coastal guesthouse in Mexico, which has been completed by architecture studio PPAA.
Located in the town of Todos Santos on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, the project was completed for Danish homeware brand Vipp, which recently expanded into hospitality with the commissioning of guesthouses.
Mexico City-based studio PPAA looked to create a building that would feel as though it had “always been part” of the desert site, using pale rammed-earth to create intimate interiors that open onto large stepped terraces.
“The goal was to create a structure that feels as though it has always been part of this place and will continue to evolve with it over time,” PPAA founding partner and creative director Pablo Pérez Palacios told Dezeen.
“Rammed earth was a natural choice – not only does it blend seamlessly with the terrain, but it also serves as a highly efficient thermal mass, keeping the interiors cool during the day and warm at night,” he added.
The guesthouse is divided into three square volumes containing a main residence and two guesthouses, each of which is positioned on a corner of a large, central courtyard and staggered to follow the gentle slope of the site.
Semi-external living and dining areas are sheltered by rammed-earth walls, while the guest bedrooms open directly onto the courtyard via sliding screens made from woven branches of the Palo de Arco tree.
“One of the main challenges was striking a balance between shelter and openness – creating a space that provides protection from the desert climate while embracing natural ventilation, light, and views,” Pérez Palacios told Dezeen.
“The staggered positioning of volumes ensures that each space has its own moment of privacy while remaining connected to the larger landscape.”
Atop each of these volumes are three additional terraces sheltered by metal-framed fabric canopies, the largest of which features a circular swimming pool.
“The rooftop pool is one of the most powerful moments – it’s a viewing platform, a space for contemplation,” said Pérez Palacios.
“From here, the landscape unfolds in a way that is both expansive and intimate, revealing the contrast between the desert, the ocean, and the sky,” he added.
The pale-coloured rammed-earth walls have been left exposed throughout the entire project, complemented by local stone and wood and furniture created by Vipp specifically for the guesthouse.
PPAA was founded in Mexico City in 2018. Previous projects by the studio include a mass-timber office building in Querétaro, and a concrete villa overlooking Lake Zurich in Switzerland.
The photography is by Anders Hviid.
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