11 minute read
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Building With Earth, For the Earth: AN INTERVIEW WITH LOS CABOS ARCHITECT CARLOS ESPINO
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New building projects are as synonymous with Los Cabos as pristine beaches and perfect weather, and the coastline looks different every six months as more and more developments and resorts are built. Unfortunately, many of these new building projects don’t take sustainability into account, likely because it isn’t legally necessary and it can require extra money, energy, and creativity. Pursuing sustainable architecture requires many considerations including resiliency of the structure, energy efficiency, the carbon footprint of both the materials used and the building process, and the use of regional methods and artisans. Los Cabos architect Carlos Espino, a specialist in the technique known as “rammed earth building” (tapial or tierra compactada in Spanish), has dedicated himself to sustainable architecture in Baja California Sur and is providing the region with a refreshing alternative to the mega builds and concrete construction that claim more and more beaches every year.
Carlos was born and raised in La Paz and completed his studies at the University of Guadalajara, including an exchange program with the Universitat Politécnic in Valencia, Spain. He holds certifications for Permaculture Design and Ecological Systems, and has studied and worked in Tulum, Quintana Roo, and Tecate, Baja California. After completing his education, Carlos moved to San Jose del Cabo in 2013 and began working with a local architectural firm that shared his passion for ecological building projects. Recently, he founded the Re Estudio Arquitectónico where, with the help of colleagues and skilled workers, he designs and builds “habitats in equilibrium with nature’s cycles and uses, using natural materials and local artisans.”
He went on to express, “The sea is my motivation and a source of inspiration, just like the desert landscapes, oases, and other extraordinary places in Baja. I am very fortunate to be able to work here and the fact that people are open to this type of design and construction provides opportunities for healthier, more sustainable projects.” Carlos chose to pursue rammed earth building in order to learn about and promote a building method that is “more efficient and respectful.” Human civilizations have built their communities this way for thousands of years, all over the world, and in his eyes, “it is culture and tradition, and now we can do it with the help of technology. It’s the past, present, and future.”
Rammed earth building is done by repeatedly compacting multiple layers of earth within a framework of wood and steel called “formwork.” Historically, the compaction was accomplished by hand with the end of a wooden pole, though now it is usually done with a mechanical ram. This process leaves the finished wall with faint, visible lines displaying the different layers of earth unless a finishing method is used to erase these differentiations. Oftentimes, these lines are left unaltered as they provide a beautiful, unique aesthetic
to rammed earth walls. The completed walls can be treated with waterproof sealants or protected by eaves to avoid long term erosion from driving rain or consistent moisture.
Examples of this type of building can be seen in multiple places in the Los Cabos area, including at Acre restaurant in San Jose del Cabo and at Hierbabuena restaurant in Pescadero, which are both open to the public. Some of the signage for Playa Chileno and the Chileno Bay Club on the Cabo Corridor are also easily visited examples. Within the community of Encanto de La Laguna on the East Cape, there are some exceptional examples of rammed earth buildings as part of private homes. Additionally, the private art center known as Casa Ballena, near the community of La Choya in San Jose del Cabo, is a complex of beautifully designed rammed earth structures that can be partially seen from the road.
Carlos passionately described the many advantages of rammed earth building. One major advantage is the fact that the earth or soil used is abundantly available in most construction areas, making it a “beautiful, accessible, and sustainable building material.” Therefore, other environmentally costly materials like wood or cement don’t need to be acquired and transported to the jobsite. This type of architecture also “reduces our dependency on cement, which produces thousands of millions of tons of CO2 each year” during its production and is a commonly used building material in Mexico. He continued, explaining that walls made of compacted earth are “durable, low maintenance, and energetically efficient. They can be load-bearing, regulate humidity, dissipate temperature, and have a high thermal mass.” All of these characteristics are of interest to residents of Baja California Sur. Durability ensures the value of your investment and reduces maintenance needs. The walls’ ability to regulate humidity and temperature is important during the hot and rainy summer in Baja Sur, reducing the need for costly air conditioning running 24/7. This is possible due to the high thermal mass of rammed earth structures. This means that a lot of heat is required to change the temperature of the structure, resulting in slower and smaller temperature fluctuations. High thermal mass is therefore a great way to save on energy costs over time and increases the overall energy efficiency of the building. In Carlos’ opinion, the only real disadvantage of using tierra compactada is that this type of building can be expensive, despite its low cost of materials, since it’s not a standardized system and depends on the context of each project.
Hopefully, moving forward, both homeowners and developers will maintain open minds and consider the modernized, traditional practice of rammed earth construction as a way to bring more sustainable architecture to the Baja Sur region. The orange and brown colors of the regional soil create structures that blend seamlessly with the surrounding natural landscapes, and promise durability and energy efficiency. Step away from the monotonous sea of concrete and visit one of the aforementioned locations to see the natural beauty of this type of architecture. Our beautiful Baja California Sur depends on more sustainable development methods if it’s to retain its integrity and ecology in the years to come.
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About rammed earth building and Carlos Espino’s work, follow him. IG: carloseugenioespino IG: re_studio
The True Meaning of “Farm-to-Table” and How to Enjoy Locally Sourced Flavors in your Own Kitchen: AN INTERVIEW WITH CHEFS GUILLERMO TELLEZ & LESLIE SWAGER-TELLEZ OF FLORA FARMS
Flora Farms, a beloved destination in Los Cabos, is once again open for business and providing the delicious, seasonal food and outdoor ambiance they’re known for. I recently had the chance to chat with the accomplished husband-and-wife team from Flora’s Field Kitchen, Executive Pastry Chef Leslie Swager-Tellez & Executive Chef Guillermo Tellez, about their work in Los Cabos and their personal recommendations for home cooks.
Both Leslie and Guillermo got interested in becoming chefs around the same age of 17-18, and met years later when they were both working for world-renowned chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian Charlie Trotter. They eventually got married and moved to Los Cabos in 2003 with their 2-month old baby in tow. Soon after, they met Flora Farms owner Gloria Greene when sourcing farm-fresh vegetables and meat for their work at “C,” a Charlie Trotter-owned restaurant at The One and Only Palmilla resort. In 2015, the Greene family was looking to upgrade their own restaurant and reached out to friends Leslie and Guillermo with their ideas. Together, these longtime Los Cabos residents created the charming and dynamic Flora Farms brand that so many residents and visitors know and love today.
When asked about their favorite part of being chefs in Los Cabos, both Leslie and Guillermo agreed that their immersion in delicious, regional ingredients is an exclusive benefit that many chefs don’t have access to. Leslie emphasized, “People [that come here] are amazed at the flavors of seasonal, fresh ingredients and I love that I can provide visitors with that experience.” They both spoke passionately about the intense flavors that fruits and vegetables have during peak season, and how that is something impossible to recreate without a direct relationship to your local farmer. Guillermo elaborated, “We don’t even like to use the phrase ‘farm-to-table’ because we’re literally on the farm.” He went on to say that being a part of “the evolution of products and consulting on the farm’s production and quality, without a middleman, is really unique.” They both also agreed that when the ingredients are fresh and harvested during the correct season, you don’t have to do much with them to make an amazing dish.
Yet this type of relationship with ingredients, and the farm they come from, is something only smaller restaurants and businesses can usually cultivate. As Guillermo explained, “Bigger corporations and hotels are more interested in return on investment... [but] smaller businesses have more flexibility.” To illustrate, a smaller, free-standing restaurant would find it easier to adjust the menu if their farmer’s carrot crop fell victim to flooding, whereas a large hotel that orders huge quantities of product in bulk would have a harder time managing successful changes in response to something like that. This seems like an excellent reason to support smaller local businesses and restaurants, and to encourage them to directly seek out locally produced & seasonal ingredients. Not only would the local area’s food system be strengthened from this type of relationship, but money would remain in the local economy and diners would enjoy more flavorful, regional food.
That being said, both Guillermo and Leslie said they support any local “farm-to-table” efforts as long as people use the correct definition of the term. They both specified that in their opinion, the term “farm-to-table” only applies if the restaurant is directly sourcing their ingredients from a local farm, without the use of a middleman. This holds the chefs and business owners accountable and ensures that a direct relationship between restaurant and farmer is established and maintained.
This intimate relationship between farm and table is what inspires Leslie and Guillermo each year, and is also the reason they both eschew food trends often seen in the United States. Guillermo described his own philosophy as finding “the best possible ingredients and doing something with them. If you know the product, work with it. Don’t just jump on whatever trend. Think: ‘What can I do with this thing that could be great?’ It takes time, but it’s worth it.” Leslie added that they “walk the farm together every season to get inspired. We can’t go to Pinterest or use the internet because we live in a different environment. We have so many different types of palates to cook for [e.g. residents, travelers] and we want to showcase local flavors. We don’t want to offer what they can get where they’re from.” The chefs have access to many of the same ingredients each year, so creating a new take on the same seasonal flavors is a fun and unique challenge. For example, summer is all about the mangos at Flora Farms and instead of serving mango sorbet again and again, this year, Leslie created a creamy mango panna cotta as a new twist on summer’s bountiful mango harvest.
This type of culinary creativity is another rare attribute of a true farm-to-table relationship but is something even home cooks can explore as they begin to get to know locally produced ingredients. To any home cook interested in
learning about their local area’s harvest and how to cook with it, Guillermo advised, “Most important, do a little research and buy something in season, at its peak. You’re not going to get the full flavor if it’s not ripe or ready. Investigate the flavor profile [and remember] you don’t have to do much [when the ingredients are of a high quality and in season].” This encourages a trip to the local farmers market which was Leslie’s first piece of advice. She went on to explain, “Cooler months in Baja are amazing for produce so check farmers markets for what’s in season and learn how to see what looks best. Fresh herbs can also really boost the flavors of fresh ingredients during peak season.” Luckily, farmers markets can be found all over Los Cabos from November-June and some stand-outs include the weekly markets at The Shoppes at Palmilla, Pedregal and El Huerto Farm to Table in Cabo San Lucas, and the Mercado Organico in San Jose del Cabo.
When asked about other recommendations for home cooks, both chefs agreed that a high quality knife that maintains sharp edges and that you feel comfortable with is extremely important. Guillermo also said he couldn’t live without a versatile cast iron pan “that can go anywhere” - from stovetop, to oven, to live fire - and a high speed blender that can whip up everything from purées to margaritas. Leslie recommends a thick-based sauté pan or pot that can handle heat, like her favorite from All Clad, as a very versatile piece of kitchen equipment. She would also be lost without a good microblading zester and a high quality food processor. She uses hers for everything, including her popular cakes and ice creams at Flora Farms. Both chefs also agreed that it’s worth it to invest in a few everyday kitchen tools of superior quality because they see so much use and will still stand the test of time.
TO ENJOY THE CHEFS’ SEASONAL CREATIONS VISIT FLORA-FARMS.COM TO MAKE A RESERVATION
For more info about farmers markets in Los Cabos, visit: destinoloscabos.com/outdoor-markets
