Text description provided by the architects. Located in Las Animas Bajas, an area of San José del Cabo privileged for its natural landscape, the “Tree Houses” project grows inside the Acre Restaurant-Bar, a property with 10 hectares of cultivation area, mango trees and a centenary palm grove that impacts the visitor from the road. The "Tree Houses" respond to the desire to create a boutique hotel that provides a rural experience of tranquillity and a direct connection with the nature of Los Cabos, a space that combines cultural sensitivity and respect for the protected natural environment.
The project is materialized in thirteen individual compact units, each formed by a lightweight steel structure that rises 4-5m from the ground level on elegant metal columns. This system simultaneously allows security (it is an area that can be flooded) and user privacy, creating a surprise effect when crossing the gardens to the restaurant, surrounded by plants and palm trees that hide these suspended volumes. Each unit is formed by a compact box in a complex set of layers formed by the base structure, the mosquito net panels and the "arch pole" fabric (local cane) creating comfort conditions in a minimum space. Each of the spaces is equipped with a private bathroom, a closet and a deck with outdoor showers where visitors can enjoy the privileged views of the Estero (West) and the Sea of Cortez (South) over the dense foliage of palm trees.
Other materials such as polycarbonate and polished cement are used to form spaces of different natures such as the bathrooms, the closets and the showers, creating a transient and aesthetic contrast with the arch poles, a traditional material common to the region. The used materials evoke the local construction tradition and dignify its use today in a harmonious composition between traditional and modern techniques while maintaining the same concept throughout the entire project. The climatic comfort of the spaces is achieved by locating them at a higher level where cross ventilation passes between the palm grove and the units. Their elevation and openness make it possible to keep the large doors open to the landscape. The metal structure allows a less aggressive intervention in the natural environment (minimum footings) while allowing the necessary safety in an area of easy flooding and risk of hurricane occurrence in the bioregion.
