Excerpt: Xiqué Boutique Hotel by Estudio Carroll embodies a design philosophy that harmonizes architecture with nature, culture, and sustainability. Its fluid, curvilinear form maximizes space while preserving existing vegetation, creating a seamless connection with the environment. Oriented for natural ventilation and passive cooling, the hotel integrates local materials and nature-based solutions to enhance comfort and minimize impact.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The studio believes architecture goes beyond mere structures; it is a catalyst for joy and harmony capable of transforming communities and uplifting the human spirit. Their design philosophy focuses on challenging boundaries and creating spaces that inspire.
One of their most recent projects, Xique Boutique Hotel, located in Puerto Escondido, aims to blend relaxation, harmony with the environment, cultural preservation, social and economic development, and architectural expression. This project stands on a 278-square-meter plot with a 620-square-meter construction. It features eight rooms, a restaurant on the ground floor, and a rooftop terrace with a pool offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The design approach for this project is based on three key principles: orientation, airflow, and environmental sustainability. The south-facing main facade offers protection against intense heat, while the west-facing rooms provide stunning views of the sea and surrounding nature. The strategic layout of services and circulations ensures a flow of movement and functionality throughout the space, aligning the design with the natural environment and prioritizing user comfort. The mostly open west facade, protected with palm bone doors, allows for a continuous air flow, taking advantage of prevailing winds.
Grills on the opposite side of the rooms facilitate air circulation throughout the hotel, while the staircase acts as a natural chimney to guide hot air up and out of the building.
In line with the project’s values, the architects have opted for nature-based solutions (NBS) to mitigate potential environmental impacts. First, they have preserved the existing trees by designing the building layout to create an almost 100-square-meter free area.
In this space, wetland systems become a central element of the architectural arrangement, generating a lush garden and terrace for user enjoyment. Through this system, wastewater produced on the premises finds optimal conditions for quality recovery through natural processes, simulating and intensifying the processes that naturally occur in mangroves, marshes, and wetlands without negatively affecting the environment. This approach demonstrates the studio’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and biodiversity and presents a tangible solution to environmental problems in Puerto Escondido.
Through a careful selection of materials, the project reflects local culture and sustainability. Most of the building’s surfaces are covered with earth-pink chukum, a material that offers passive cooling and reduces heat absorption, which is also notable for its waterproof properties. Palm bone, a predominant material in the region, is used in lattices, doors, and railings, while legally harvested macuil wood adds elegance to the interiors. Clay tiles enhance the details and cover the exterior floors.
The building’s shape was initially conceived to maximize livable space while preserving the existing vegetation on the site. The resulting curves and contours from this extrusion produce a visual fluidity and elegance architecturally inspired by the female form. The studio’s mission is to create spaces that inspire, uplift, and transform, as well as architecture that harmonizes with nature and celebrates local culture.
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