{"id":216182,"date":"2023-09-28T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=216182"},"modified":"2023-09-22T11:28:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T15:28:06","slug":"contemporary-hacienda-in-tulum","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/contemporary-hacienda-in-tulum\/","title":{"rendered":"A Contemporary Hacienda in Tulum Caters to Local Makers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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An outdoor pool and a Brazilian teak deck sit at the heart of a Tulum, Mexico, residence conceived by real-estate investor and property developer Aviv Siso and realized by Arquitectura Mixta and Alexandra Pedregal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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September 28, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Tami Christiansen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Richard Powers\/Living Inside<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A Contemporary Hacienda in Tulum Caters to Local Makers<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The \u201clife\u2019s short\u201d wake-up call of COVID inspired many people to make major lifestyle changes\u2014from resignations to relocations. For Aviv Siso, that meant leaving behind the rat race of New York, his home of 20 years, for coastal Tulum, Mexico, on the Riviera Maya. The Belgian-Israeli entrepreneur had recently visited the wellness-focused beach destination and fallen for its luxe-bohemian vibe. \u201cThe pandemic presented the perfect opportunity to break from my intense city life, to disconnect and try something new,\u201d Siso explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A real-estate investor, property developer, and partner at Equator Capital Management, Siso desired an abode that could comfortably accommodate guests, potentially serve as a rental villa when he was out of town, and function as a hub to host yoga retreats and other confabs for Tulum\u2019s dynamic community of creatives. He purchased a small plot in a leafy neighborhood with the ambition to create a minimalist structure that nurtured a feeling of calm, with high ceilings, expansive windows, an open flow of spaces, and a strong connection to the surrounding vegetation\u2014a modernist take on the traditional Mexican hacienda. He envisioned pairing local stone and timber with polished concrete, a material whose gray tone would contrast nicely with the property\u2019s greenery and that would leverage the construction skills of area artisans. \u201cThere is such apprec\u00adiation here for craftsmanship,\u201d he notes, \u201cand beautiful concrete- and stonework are entrenched in Mexican building culture and tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Abode Designed to Reflect Mexican Culture and Tradition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The custom dining table, chairs, and benches are crafted of rough-hewn local limestone. \n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Siso enlisted a team of multidisciplinary talents to realize his concept. After collaborating on the original plans with Luis Alejandro Cuesta Perusqu\u00eda, founder of the sustainability-minded local firm Arquitectura Mixta<\/a>, Siso completed the project with the help of Alexandra Pedregal, a friend and designer in mediums ranging from interiors to fashion. The resulting five-bedroom residence, with five bathrooms and two half baths, is apportioned into two wings: a three-story main house and a slightly sequestered two-story volume containing a garden-level sleeping suite and a second-floor studio with mini-kitchen and lounge, all totaling 8,000 square feet. Common rooms are arrayed around a central courtyard pool in the manner of a Moroccan riad, while secluded bedrooms overlook the tree canopy. Folding iron-frame glass walls and full-height picture windows create an easy indoor\/outdoor flow throughout, while an enfilade of arched doorways between spaces softens the austerity of the matte-polished concrete architecture. The deft interweaving of alfresco, enclosed, and intermediary zones and the careful framing of sight lines offers a sense of discovery from different perspectives and vantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To resolve the decor, the pair turned to another multihyphenate entity, World by Hand<\/a>, a downtown Tulum boutique founded by Francia R\u00e1bago that sources handcrafted designs from across the globe. The studio supplied most of the textiles, rugs, and cushions\u2014as well as the rattan chairs presiding in the gallerylike living room\u2014and, through its architectural arm, oversaw aspects of the build-out and landscaping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A pair of handmade rattan chairs furnish the living room. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In the narrow patio adjacent to the sitting area, a handmade hammock joins a pair of marble chairs by Sublime Studios. \n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A minimalist outdoor shower, its lever handle accented by a leaf imprint, services the pool. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Modern Hacienda With Functional Art<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The mood inside is serene, with hushed tones and sculptural appointments. Verdant views form the backdrop of almost every room. Statement furnishings crafted from local stone are in perfect alignment with the architecture and further connect the interior to its natural surrounds. The dining area\u2019s table, benches, and chairs, for instance, are unique pieces of functional art made from rough-hewn slabs of Crema Maya, a lush Mexican limestone. They are the brainchild of architectural designer Stephanie Str\u00f6m, founder of Sublime Studios<\/a>, a cross-disciplinary outfit based in Tulum and Melbourne, Australia. Shaped by the passing of time, the pieces suggest modernity, while appearing as though unearthed from some long-forgotten temple. \u201cThe stone\u2019s neutral base and veining adds a sense of movement that creates a feeling of nature,\u201d says Str\u00f6m, who credits Constantin Br\u00e2ncusi as inspiration, as well as Japanese and brutalist design. She also contributed a pair of elemental stone lounges that occupy the living room and the cylindrical steel pendant fixtures illuminating the kitchen\/dining area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heart of the house, where everyone gravitates at the end of the day, is the sitting area\u2019s conversation pit. The sunken sectional centers on a cocktail table accented with handmade resin vessels by artist M\u00f3nica Calder\u00f3n, whose work channels ancient Mexican designs; a hidden switch converts the tabletop to a firepit. \u201cThis is a house that ultimately needs to be enjoyed with an ensemble\u2014to give space to express and share art, music, meditation, and food, to create memories,\u201d Siso enthuses. Nicknamed Casa Shalva, a moniker derived from the Hebrew expression for the sensation of peace, the retreat is ultimately a place to disconnect and connect in equal measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside the Meditative Retreat Designed for Indoor-Outdoor Living<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The sit\u00adting area centers on a custom firepit table by Sublime Studios, accented with resin vessels by artist M\u00f3nica Calder\u00f3n that were inspired by pre-Hispanic Mexican culture. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Paintings by Colombian artist Tatiana Camacho hang in the pool-adjacent living room; at left are Yin and Yang lounges by Sublime. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sublime Studios designed the steel pendant fixtures in the kitchen; the black ceramic pots were made in Oaxaca, Mexico. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Double-height iron-frame folding-glass doors enhance the indoor\/outdoor quality. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The garden bedroom\u2019s elemental custom bed is crafted of Tzalam hardwood, while local Maculis frames the sliding closet doors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A soaking tub anchors the garden suite\u2019s bathroom, partially enclosed in glass.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Matte-polished concrete was used to fabricate the main staircase.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The residence was carefully sited to accommodate existing trees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Three slabs of limestone form each dining chair. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The sitting area\u2019s concrete floor steps down to form a sunken conversation pit with custom cushions. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The home\u2019s main living spaces, including the open-plan kitchen\/dining area and sitting room, wrap around the courtyard. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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An outdoor pool and a Brazilian teak deck sit at the heart of a Tulum, Mexico, residence conceived by real-estate investor and property developer Aviv Siso and realized by Arquitectura Mixta and Alexandra Pedregal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Native tro\u00adpical plantings shade the main entrance and merge the 8,000-square-foot, five-bedroom structure with the surrounding jungle. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
project team<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

world by hand: construction, landscaping, custom furniture workshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

project sources<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

sublime studios: floor cushions (sitting area), table, chairs (dining area, garden).
m\u00f3nica calder\u00f3n studios: ceramics (sitting area, kitchen).
through sumo galeria: paintings (liv\u00ading room).
ramon soler through bad und k\u00fcche: shower fittings (outdoor shower), sink, tub fittings (bathroom).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n