SUBY BOWDEN + ASSOCIATES

Casa Paciencia imagines the Mexican village as an integrated residential campus,

including a home and bio-medical think tank,

that welcomes 15 to 20 guests overnight

at full capacity.

 

Nestled amongst the Saguro Cactus forest,

Casa Paciencia responds to its environment through the architectural forms, Mexican colors, and earthen hues that echo the hillsides and desert setting.

 

The distinct village experience is filled with colorful facades, street trees and pedestrian paths. Colors are used to guide guests throughout the village. Buildings are sited to encourage the flow of natural cross ventilation, as breezes flow down the hillside canyon in the early mornings, and flow up the canyon in the late afternoons.

 

Healing imagery resides throughout the campus ; from a poolside mosaic of the Toltec deity, Quetzalcoatl (which represented the milky way to the native Indians and represented the medical doctors in more modern times) to abstract cellular tile patterns on roofs, walls and floors).

 

Water is harvested from the rooftops, grey water systems and patios, and is reused to provide the landscaping and gardens with Baja quality water and irrigation. The entire campus is designed with both contemporary HVAC, as well as natural cross-ventilation if the visitors prefer the desert breezes and winds.

 

The footprint of buildings, patios, and spaces is approximately 30,000 square feet, plus many private and public landscaped gardens, enabling guests to gather, or have their private areas.