case study

La Cascada

kilometro 64 | rosarito, baja california

The project looks at the surrounding hills of La Cascada, Baja California's natural beauty, and the many wild herbs and flowers. From the "Matorral Costera," which is a collection of herbs and flowers consisting of wild rosemary, prickly chaparral pear, chaparral yucca, and others. As well as the wild animals, from coyotes, hare, and coastal birds that make up the territory's identity—mainly looking at the great weather but also considering the seasonal changes, from its high humidity and hot temperature to the path of low-pressure storms. The design's conditions look to be Mediterranean in design, allowing for airflow while creating terraces to change the view of the interaction of the building with the site and the ocean while also inhibiting different spaces for the users. The main factor is using the hills' natural slope to give order to the design while also creating privacy from all sides. The design takes in everything the site offers; thus, the project has many breezeways to increase passive cooling during sweltering humid days and becomes cool during humid storms.

The Californias

The Californias was a word coined that included the upper & lower portions of California, which now a day is California and Baja California. With these territories under the control of Mexico, it became quite a challenge to govern these lands. The first efforts to manage this massive territory in the 1820s failed. Much of what the upper portion of California needed was not the same as those in Baja California. The Federal Government took steps to establish a centralized government in BC in the early 1850s to work on the issues and concerns of this portion of the Californias. However, upper California residents revolted against Mexico's government to get their independence, drastically changing Mexico's territorial landscape.

This change allowed Mexico to focus on Baja California to have a stable government to cater to the habitants of this territory. During the 20th century, the governors who helped push BC forward did not do as much as those in the 70s. No decade was better for Baja California than the 70s, in which the governor of Baja California, Hugo Cervantes del Río, prioritized agriculture and the poise of its beautiful lands and reclaimed them to reestablish their natural beauty. Not just that, but also this period in time is when Baja California many territories came under one government, the construction of the international airport, and a binational river ferry to cross between USA and Mexico.

After this decade, BC started to cultivate what made their state beautiful: their lands, the culture, and its weather. Baja California is garnished with cities that are lavish in beauty, such as Los Cabos, La Paz, Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada, and many others. All in which their natural lands are part of cohabiting this territory. - Inafed, 2022

Regional Map of Baja California

Joan Vinckeboons, ca. 1650

La Cascada, Baja California

Existing Conditions

Hacienda of La Cascada

Astonishing Views from Las Cascada

Source: Hacienda Vista Mar

Parcel Map & Land Subdivision

Source: Hacienda Vista Mar

Project Proposal

The design's conditions look to be Mediterranean in design, allowing for airflow while creating terraces to change the view of the interaction of the building with the site and the ocean while also inhibiting different spaces for the users. The main factor is using the hills' natural slope to give order to the design while also creating privacy from all sides. The design takes in everything the site offers; thus, the project has as many breezeways to increase passive cooling during sweltering humid days and becomes cool during humid storms.

Inspiration