Endemico Resguardo Silvestre / Gracia Studio

Rating: 9.0/10 (1 vote cast)

Endemico Resguardo Silvestre

Designed by San Diego based firm Gracia Studio, The concept at Endémico Resguardo Silvestre is “luxury camping”—20 pristine cabins, crisply modern, are poised on a hillside overlooking Mexican wine country. The 99-acre site also includes a swimming pool, a winery, and a restaurant. But the highlight is the cabins, each with its own terrace warmed by an adobe fireplace, with views of the rugged valley.

Project promoting respect for our environment should be a condition in contemporary architectural practice. However, and although still a little timidly, slowly imposing itself as a discipline with increasing emphasis and better results. This is the case of the Californian study Graciastudio , who have been screened in Mexico’s Guadalupe Valley, the hotel Endemic Wildlife Shelter, a facility whose primary intention is to live with the surrounding landscape, causing minimal environmental impact.

The resort is located on an area of 99 hectares, on a mountain slope of Baja California. The slope, as well as serve as natural protection for guests, offers spectacular views of the wine landscape characteristic of the region.

Divided into twenty separate rooms of twenty square meters each, the complex has a common area equipped with pool and jacuzzi.

The exterior of the cabin / room is lined with Corten steel, which favors their protection in relation to inclement weather. Each of these rises also a few meters above the ground to save the slope.

Each cabin, with a bedroom and bathroom, built into one wall a large window that opens over the valley, illuminating the interior during the day. In addition, each cabin has a wood-free platform that serves as a private terrace.

Grupo Habita

Grupo Habita’s Carlos Couturier and Moisés Micha decided to develop a property in the area that “combines amazing dry weather, rich new wines, incredible seafood and produce, impressive light, and human talent.” And so, Endemico came to be. The project, whose moniker suggests that it is a “wild reserve” and “native to its environment,” is slated to open this July. It features two main components: Encuentro Guadalupe, the winery and restaurant, and Endemico Resguardo Silvestre, twenty high-end bungalows, which offer guests the chance to immerse themselves in the outdoors while still enjoying modern comforts.

The idea behind Endémico is “luxury camping.” Set on 40 acres of gorgeous, unspoiled terrain, there are 20 bungalows and a shared pool for guests to take a dip in. The Encuentro Guadalupe winery offers guests access to local wines as well as a peek at how they are processed through winemaking courses. Encuentro’s restaurant will feature dishes that incorporate local flavors as well as a cooking school where people can learn how to prepare creative meals with the guidance of talented young chefs.

Project Data

Project name: Endemico Resguardo Silvestre
Location: Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada, México
Type: Resort, Resort Interior
Program: luxury camping
Size: 20 cabins, 20 square meters each.
Site Area: 99-acre
Project Year: 2011
Completion Year: 2011

Awards:

2012 Travel + Leisure Magazine Awards – Best Small Hotel

The people

Client / Owner / Developer: Grupo Habita
Architects: Gracia Studio
Project Architect: Jorge Gracia
Collaborators: Javier Gracia, Jonathan Castellón, Braulio Lozano, Valeria Peraza
Construction: Gracia Studio
Text Description: © Courtesy of Gracia Studio, dwell, Grupo Habita
Images: © Luís Garcia