How might desert tourism foster the sustainable development of territory to champion environmental health and the well-being of local communities? In a region where the corrosion of culture and tradition is being accelerated by rapid development, El Perdido embraces Baja California Sur’s historical roots and material culture, providing a glimpse into the past while suggesting a potential design language for the future.

El Perdido is located 800 meters from the Pacific Ocean in the small agricultural town of El Pescadero which is rich in plantations of basil, chili, tomatoes, and strawberries. The unique ecoregion is defined by expansive low shrubland that drifts across the coastal alluvial plains westward into the foothills of the Sierra de La Laguna mountains. Through a climatic analysis, the design responds to the atmospheric conditions of its geography, and great care was taken to provide guests with optimal thermal comfort during their stay. Temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and solar incidence on the site were taken into consideration to employ strategies of passive cooling during the summer and passive heating in the winter.

The vernacular materiality allows the visitor to connect with the local way of life in Pescadero, where the endemic vegetation, earthen walls, wooden structure, and palm roofs epitomized Baja California Sur’s heritage. This palette, typically disregarded in contemporary development for imported materials and tropical vegetation, is defined exclusively by locally sourced materials and built by local craftsmen.

“El Perdido is a full experience, an architecture that blends with the surroundings. It is all about engagement with the context. It is about options: being with people, with yourself, visiting the area, and understanding the culture. To give and not to take. ” Co-founder.

Photos Courtesy of elperdido.com