Las Kiyas
2024
Interior Design
Architecture
Tucked within the dense jungle of La Saladita and just steps from the ocean, Las Kiyas is Estudio Bao’s own experiment in redefining hospitality. The boutique retreat is composed of three villas, each oriented differently to preserve intimacy and create a sense of discovery within the compact 1,400-square-meter site.
Built with traditional Mexican techniques such as bahareque, a timber structure filled with earth and straw the project embraces raw, natural materials that respond elegantly to the climate. Stone and concrete floors, parota carpentry, pine roofs, and clay tiles combine to form a palette at once humble and enduring.
Only twenty percent of the land is built upon; the rest was regenerated into gardens and green areas. In this way, the villas blend seamlessly into their surroundings, offering guests an experience that is both luxurious and deeply rooted in nature. Outdoor showers, private terraces, and gardens extend each room into the landscape, while a common area provides a shared point of gathering.
Las Kiyas seeks to embody another side of luxury, one defined not by excess, but by intimacy, sustainability, and the quiet richness of raw materials shaped by local hands.
PROJECT TYPE
Hospitality — Boutique hotel with three villas.
DETAILS
The creation of Las Kiyas was guided by experimentation, tradition, and respect for nature:
- Testing different ways to fit the program into a small site while preserving green space.
- Trial and error in orientation and landscape design for maximum privacy.
- Learning and applying bahareque, an ancestral building technique, in collaboration with the local community.
- Embracing natural, locally sourced materials to achieve sustainability and authenticity.
- Designing with the ambition of redefining luxury hospitality through raw and honest architecture.
Acting as both designers and clients, allowing freedom to explore unconventional choices.
