Ranitas Eco Boutique Hotel

RANITAS ECO-BOUTIQUE HOTEL Ranitas Eco-Boutique Hotel is located in the Caribbean coast of Mexico, near the Mayan ruins of Tulum (Quintana Roo), between the road to the biosphere reserve Sian Ka'an and the mangroves. The hotel is the perfect destination for visitors seeking for an extraordinary connection with nature, being the client’s aspiration to attract the fast growing numbers of environmentally conscious tourists. It also serves as a model for sustainable development, since as a preservation measure, by local laws, all buildings in the region do not receive any basic services like public drainage, electricity nor garbage collection. The design was generated from the desire to both respect the environment and at the same time make the stay a very unique, comfortable, and contemporary experience. Formally, the traditional beach bungalow was reinterpreted, maintaining the bear basic commodities without becoming rustic or typologically predictable. The form is the result of this re-adaptation, which led to fourteen bungalow-modules. Each module consists of three or four bedrooms with a view of the ocean from all rooms. Conceptually, the bungalow-modules provide a sensory experience in which only local building materials have been chosen. Functionally, the module is elevated from the ground level in order to prevent seasonal floods and unexpected visits from friendly animals. The interior was conceived almost like a boat, where everything is fixed and no “loose fittings” are perceived: bed, nightstands and other parts are one fluid piece of furniture. Cross ventilation and natural lighting are also an important part of the design, and a conditioning detail for the generation of the form. All services (restaurant, library, lounge, swimming pool, porch, etc) are grouped at the centre of the site. This core portion was conceived as a pier along a compositional axis. The pier connects the main road (entry to compound) to the ocean, becoming a promenade that guests and short-term visitors can enjoy. Two off-centred bracket-like structures suspend this elongated bridge, as if it were a barefoot person carefully tip-towing over the sand. Our design team was formed by architects, biologists, landscape architects and environmentalists who created a thorough document as a guide to seek a Zero Carbon Emissions building. A special care was given to water management, re-using residual water and capturing rainwater at various parts of the project. Self-generating energy and recycling was also an important part of this document. The overall design includes an organic vegetable and fruit garden, a solar energy plant, a wind power generation plant and other eco-friendly measures, aiming to be a self-sufficient as possible, becoming for us, as well as for our client, a good example for future undertakings and an amazing learning experience.