As I’ve previously written about here, I’m currently building a house in Merida, Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula.
I haven’t posted in over three months, so there’s lots to catch up on…
Nearly two years ago, in the fall of 2020, after visiting Merida multiple times in the last several years, I found an amazing property online in the neighborhood of Jesus Carranza, just a few blocks from the city’s main thoroughfare, Paseo Montejo. It’s over 50 feet wide on the main entrance side, 100 feet deep with a separate street entrance around the corner, with a 30 x 40 foot “bonus lot”.
Over the past year two years I’ve been working long distance with my friend, architect Erik Gonzales of Gonzales Estudio on a plan for the main house remodel with an addition of a new facade, courtyard, parking area, office with a 3 bedroom, 2 bath guest “casita” (little house) with its own kitchen next to the 11 meter lap pool at the rear of the property.
When I was there for three months this spring, Erik told me a popular video channel on YouTube, Cotaparades Architectos, wanted to film the house.
I said,
But it’s only half finished…?”
He assured me they wanted to come back to shoot it when it was done. In the architectural world of Mexico it’s a pretty big deal. At the time they had half a million subscribers (today it’s over 600,000) and a loyal audience of followers. So, of course I said yes.
Three months later, here it is.
Watch.
Since that taping, work has continued on the interior walls of the main house, adding the steel exterior doors, the front facade, the courtyard where I added a fountain, the kitchen laundry and pantry.
Work was begun about a month ago on the breeze block portion of the front facade which is all new. The center section is mamposteria, a local artisanal stonework technique originally used to build the walls of main structure. The facade is made of cinderblock and coated with a thin mamoposteria exterior to “blend” it with the existing structure.
We looked at many different designs of local breeze block and settled on the design below which I think is slightly Mayan/ Frank Lloyd Wright and a bit 50s Palm Springs.
The original facade when I found it in 2020. It had been uninhabited for years, maybe decades
Detail of new mamposteria on the front facade
The garage doors & front gate with be painted with dark teal automotive paint. The sun is brutal on paint & exposed wood in Merida
You can see on the floorpan, the entry courtyard.
I’ve been working on this plan with Erik for nearly two years now and I kept thinking about adding a fountain in the entry courtyard.
Feng Shui is the practice of arranging the elements of living spaces to create balance. The goal is to establish harmony in your environment.
I don’t always follow Feng Shui guidelines to the letter, far from it. But I recently referred to the general guidelines and when applied to just the main house (where I will live and work) the entry courtyard needs some water!
So, I began to discuss the idea with Erik. The dividing wall between the entry courtyard and the motor court/ driveway wasn’t built yet but they were about to start on it. I mocked up the plan below and got them to estimate the cost of adding the fountain with planters, lights, drain pump, etc.
We’re putting in the fountain.
Red dots indicate Feng shui area for main house. Second floor of guest casita, lower right. Upper right, empty lot I own with side street access
The original wall design. Rendering by Gonzales Estudio
The revised design with fountain, lighting, planters and original front gates on either side
The final smooth coat of concrete on the gallery and living room are complete and the exterior steel casement doors have gone in.
They await the final coat of black paint and glass panes once the heavy construction starts to wind down in a month or so.
The kitchen I knew would be a big job as the place had no real kitchen to start with.
It’s a pretty good size with lots of upper and lower shelving, a giant island, banquette seating area, separate coffee bar with mini fridge and purified water, as well as separate locking pantry and laundry/ prep area that is the service entrance from the driveway.
The custom pasta tile has been on order for 9 months and FINALLY arrived two weeks ago. There was a bit of a hiccup with the installation (too boring to describe) but the tile is now in and I love the look with the rust and cream original pasta tile floors.
Now the casona’s cocina just needs the chimney over the stove, plumbing and lighting fixtures, AC, ceiling fans, appliances and doors.
Before
Ceiling removed, lower walls sealed for moisture, channel dug for plumbing
Renderings by Gonzales Estudio
Red dots indicate glass block skylights
Final work has begun on the 11 meter lap pool which emanates from the cistern tower where @casacisernamerida gets its name.
After several coats of cement, it will get a final coat of Chukum, an ancient stucco technique made from Chukum trees that are native to the Yucatan. It’s sort of their gunite.
Centro’s main square has one of the oldest churches in North America built over 500 years ago using stones from Mayan ruins
Merida was named the #6 Best Large City in the world by Condé Nast Traveler in their 2021 Reader’s Choice Awards. (1-5 were Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Singapore & Istanbul)
6. Mérida, Mexico
The streets of Mérida are bursting with the colorful facades of Spanish colonial architecture, but the capital of Mexico’s Yucatan state is also steeped in Mayanhistory. Centrally located on the Yucatan Peninsula, the city is an easy day trip to UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the ancient cities of Uxmal and Chichen Itza, and the beaches on the Gulf shore in Progreso. Locals recommend visiting Fundación de Artistas, a nonprofit featuring art exhibits in a 19th-century home; Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, a modern cultural museum; and the traditional Yucatecan food at the super casual Manjar Blanco.
–Condé Nast Traveler, Reader’s Choice Awards, 2021
And Vogue put Merida at the top of their “8 Places to Visit in 2022” list:
“Merida, Mexico still manages to fly under the radar, despite its proximity to incredible Mayan ruins and neon-blue cenotes. Plus, it has a unique culinary scene that runs the gamut from perfectly fried street cart churros to haute takes on traditional dishes by chefs like Pedro Evia, whose restaurant Kuuk is a critical darling. Look around for some excellent lodging options, including rooms in sprawling historic haciendas and sleek little city apartments.”
–Laura Motta, Senior Director of Content at Lonely Planet
