Liquen House: A Coastal Architecture Retreat Integrating Nature, Materiality, and Hospitality in Chacala, Mexico

Liquen House is a contemporary lodging project designed and built by Fino Lozano in collaboration with Pragma Estudio, located just a few meters from the Pacific coastline in Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico. Conceived as an architectural response to its tropical, saline environment, the project embodies a deep integration between architecture, landscape, and material authenticity, offering a serene spatial experience that blurs the boundaries between domestic living and boutique hospitality.

Originally envisioned as a private vacation home, Liquen House evolved during its development into a small boutique hotel, a transformation that required significant architectural and engineering adjustments. Executed across four levels, the building accommodates seven guest rooms, each designed to provide privacy, comfort, and a strong connection to the surrounding natural context. This programmatic shift challenged the design and construction teams to rethink circulation, services, and structural strategies while maintaining a cohesive architectural identity.

To address the tropical coastal climate, the architects developed a custom hollow block system, enhancing thermal performance and improving interior comfort. Material selection played a crucial role throughout the project, with finishes carefully chosen for their durability against humidity and salinity while preserving a warm, tactile quality. Each room includes a private bathroom and a compact bar-kitchenette, reinforcing the project’s dual function as both residence and hospitality space.

The recessed configuration of rooms and terraces acts as a key architectural strategy, softening the building’s scale and contributing positively to the urban image of Chacala, a rapidly growing tourist destination. This approach not only improves natural shading and ventilation but also creates a rhythmic façade that responds sensitively to the surrounding context.

Inside, hand-laid clay floors ground the interior spaces in local tradition, adding warmth, texture, and a strong sense of material continuity. These earthy surfaces establish an immediate connection to the land, reinforcing the project’s relationship with nature. Complementing the floors, the walls are finished with a pigmented plaster paste, applied to emphasize the softness of arches and celebrate subtle imperfections. This treatment allows the building to age gracefully, developing a timeless patina over time.

The architectural palette is further enriched by Rosa Morada wood, used in doors and shutters that frame views of the vibrant blue sky and surrounding vegetation. These openings create a constant visual dialogue between interior and exterior spaces, enhancing cross-ventilation and natural light.

At the heart of the complex, the pool area reinforces the project’s monolithic character. Finished with the same material as the surrounding walls, the pool becomes an extension of the architecture itself. The water surface acts as both a mirror and a filter, casting turquoise reflections that animate the terraces and communal areas throughout the day.

Another defining element of Liquen House is the use of handcrafted Palo María wooden pergolas, which filter sunlight and cast dynamic shadows across walls, terraces, and circulation spaces. These pergolas guide visitors through the project, culminating in a rooftop viewpoint terrace that features an outdoor shower and panoramic views of the ocean, surrounding hills, and expansive sky. This elevated space serves as both a contemplative retreat and a social gathering point, reinforcing the project’s experiential focus.

All photographs are works of Rafael Palacios Macías