Mexican architect Frida Escobedo designs Boca de Agua, a sustainable hotel with stilted cabins in the wilds of Yucatán, promoted by Rodrigo Juárez

At a time when we view the consequences of excessive tourism with increasing concern, the Boca de Agua project, promoted by Rodrigo Juárez and designed by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo, comes as a welcome development. It is an inspiring initiative rooted in environmental responsibility and nature conservation, where social inclusion and local economic growth coexist in harmony..

Opening this November, Boca de Agua is located in Bacalar, beside the magical Lagoon of Seven Colors, nestled in the lush landscape of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

The hotel features 26 rooms in the form of cabins elevated on stilts, avoiding soil coverage and minimizing environmental impact. Inspired by local architectural traditions, the structures use wooden latticework that allows natural light to filter through. The cabins were built using locally sourced Chicozapote wood from a certified forestry program approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In addition, Boca de Agua includes a wastewater treatment plant to ensure no waste ends up in the neighboring lagoon.

The interiors are also crafted in wood, designed to age over time and tell their own story. Most of the hotel’s furniture was created by an in-house team and local artisans, using recycled waste from nearby industrial processes. The selection includes exclusive pieces by Mexican and local brands such as Bandido Studio, Cacao Design, Nossara Towel, and Hacha Ceramics, among others.

Drawing on local cultural references, the communal buildings serve as visual landmarks within the landscape. A network of pathways connects these spaces with the villas, pool area, and recreation and relaxation zones. The design reflects a modern interpretation of traditional social centers, with stone temples and wooden dwellings characteristic of the Yucatán region.

Boca de Agua works in collaboration with the local community, regional NGOs, universities, and government organizations to develop what is currently the only project in Bacalar with a restored mangrove ecosystem by the sea. The hotel is also partnered with the nonprofit Mono Araña, which studies the behavior of the spider monkeys that inhabit the area, helping to protect and expand their natural habitat. Additionally, it works with Ammper to promote the use of renewable energy.

Project: Boca de Agua.
Architecture: Frida Escobedo Studio.
Héctor Arce, Rogelio Morales, José María Gómez de León Matthew Kennedy.
Location: Bacalar, Quintana Roo. México.
Completion: 2023.
Photography: César Béjar.

Frida Escobedo

Frida Escobedo founded her architecture studio in Mexico City in 2006. Initially, the studio gained recognition through a series of projects in her native country, including the renovation of the Hotel Boca Chica (2008), the El Eco Pavilion(2010), and the expansion of La Tallera Siqueiros in Cuernavaca (2012). Her international breakthrough came in 2018 when she was selected to design the prestigious Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens, London, becoming the youngest architect to take on the project at that time.

Recently, Escobedo was chosen to design the new Modern and Contemporary Art wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, becoming both the first woman and the youngest person to be appointed for a project of such scale at the institution. Following her appointment as design architect for The Tang Wing at the Met, she opened a studio in New York City in 2022.

Frida has received numerous awards, including the Architectural League of New York’s Young Architects Forum Award (2009), the BIAU Award (2014), the Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Award (2016), and the Architectural League Emerging Voices Award (2017). In 2019, she became an international member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Most recently, she was named the winner of the Charlotte Perriand Award 2024 by La Créateurs Design Association & Awards.

Alongside her professional practice, Frida Escobedo has taught at institutions such as Columbia University (2016), the Architectural Association in London (2016), Harvard University (2016/2019), Rice University (2019), and most recently, Yale University (2022).

Project by Frida Escobedo