Block722 opens the doors of O Lofos, a residence located in Greece that blends with the mountainous landscape, harmoniously coexisting with the views and drawing inspiration from the region’s materials to create a unique refuge.

Relax and let yourself be enveloped by the nature and mountains surrounding Tepoztlán Spa, a project where the landscape takes center stage in the user’s experience, while also promoting their well-being.

When we are thinking in built spaces where humans can cohabitate with nature, we believe in the compromise that we have with the environment, this project is an example of how we tried not to interrupt the natural dynamics as much as possible. 

To build landscapes that let the connection among usual human necessities with the vital necessities in a specific environment is still a challenge and a job with constant learning.

We believe that Tepoztlan Spa is a project that since the beginning is teaching us that we have a lot to understand about the introduction of human necessities within a natural environment. Nevertheless the project makes us feel satisfied when it shows us that it is possible to find tools and strategies that can protect and preserve the main functions in this particular ecosystem.

The project consists of a circular building built with volcanic stone that seeks to represent a mountain, in which the vegetation is born at the top, overflows and contains it. The entrance venerates the idea of entering the interior of the mountain through a tunnel that takes the user on a circular route through the spaces intended for the well-being of the body. With the mood cleansed, the user re-emerges on a staircase that takes him or her to a new lush landscape. In the center, a round skylight is imposed with the help of the sun and the water that filters below, the rainwater falls through this window like a sky-eye, collecting it and storing it inside a cistern prepared to be reused as irrigation.

The project consists of a circular building built with volcanic stone that seeks to represent a mountain, in which the vegetation is born at the top, overflows and contains it. 

The gym, massage room, lockers, showers and bathrooms, sauna and frigidarium are arranged around the central space and complete the active program. The upper program is perfect for contemplation, a place where guests can enjoy dawn, dusk, and the night around an open fire or in a hot tub. 

Tepoztlan Spa has a privileged location surrounded by green, next to a stormy river and adjacent to the mountain, this area is full of history and mysticism. A Mexican town that attributes powers to natural elements, a place where the architecture and landscape is dominated by the natural environment. Conditions punish the permanence of buildings with humidity, drought, heat, and cold.

Arquitectura / Architecture: Jsa, SOA

Iván Juárez (X-Studio) talks to us about Micro Landscapes | Sottobosco, a work featured in the Biennial of LandArt Andorra, which pays tribute to the delicate and fragile ecosystem of the microplants in the undergrowth of Andorra.

Marcela Roig talks to us about the Parque Ecológico Riberas Oeste, a project that aims to restore, reforest, and preserve the riverbank landscapes of the Guanusacate River in Argentina, while raising awareness about living in a natural reserve.