A Dialogue Between Sand and Sea | Villa Desierto Complex by Formatelier Arquitectos
- Arq. Melissa Fernández
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
Author: Melissa Fernández
Architect, editor, and carpenter. Dividing her time between writing, design, and the creation of everyday wooden objects through her workshop and brand QIRI.
DATA PROJECT:
PROJECT NAME: Villa Desierto Complex
ARCHITECTS: Formatelier Arquitectos
PHOTOGRAPHY: Formatelier Arquitectos
LOCATION: Playa Cerritos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
YEAR: 2025
AREA: 83.40 m²
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On one of the best beaches of the Mexican Pacific, thanks to its rustic setting and untouched nature, stands the latest work by Formatelier Arquitectos. A residential complex that celebrates the identity of its paradisiacal location and elevates the stay into a profound connection.
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Where the aridity of the Baja California Sur desert meets the immensity of the Pacific Ocean, an architecture emerges that seems to have risen from the sand itself. In Playa Cerritos, Los Cabos, its imposing sunsets and landscape become the backdrop for this built space, embraced by earth and concrete walls.
But to understand how this project achieves that connection with the landscape, it is necessary to discover the vision of its creators. Formatelier, founded in 2018 in Mexico City and now established in La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, is a studio that, under the direction of architect Carlos Eduardo Cruz Ay, has made design a tool for transformation.
Its understanding of space is comprehensive, caring for everything from landscape design to furniture details within its projects. In the case of Villa Desierto, where does the idea come from?
Sensitivity and Perception
The genesis of this project lies in years of observation and understanding of Baja California Sur’s climate. As the architects point out, the work was born after “years of inhabiting and understanding this climate and this landscape,” which is why the project emerges as an “honest interpretation of how life and architecture can authentically belong to the peninsula.”
It is this sensitivity and perception that allow the complex to be carefully inserted into an environment as privileged as it is fragile. When approaching Villa Desierto, the first thing that draws attention is the clarity of its structural modulation.
This arrangement clearly organizes the space, allowing for efficient construction and an ordered reading of the project.
The south façade, which faces the sea, is open but controlled by the demands of the coastal desert climate. Meanwhile, the other three façades, although closed, feature vertical screens that allow the constant passage of light and air while limiting direct radiation and visibility.
In Search of the Horizon
But it is when walking through its spaces that the project reveals its true intention. Its vertical volume is organized across three levels connected by a spiral staircase with a helical parapet that further emphasizes its form. This strategy allows the project to minimize its impact on the land while maximizing expanded views of the landscape.
On the first level, along the south façade, is the double-height main bedroom. An introspective and sheltered space that looks toward the sea through the level terrace, protected by screens and projected walls, while the bathroom is located to the north with a view toward a small interior garden.
On the second level, a second mezzanine bedroom and bathroom appear in the same arrangement. The latter is set back from the façade and connected to the first-floor garden through the double-height void.
Finally, one reaches the rooftop terrace, the end of the journey and a tribute to openness, offering a clear view of the coastal horizon.
This is where the dialogue between the desert and the ocean becomes explicit. It is the place where architecture begins to dissolve, giving full prominence to the immensity of the sea and to the marine breeze, controlled thanks to the presence of screens and vegetation.
Instead of continuing with the horizontality of the desert, the architecture here chooses to stand out and take advantage of each observation element to strategically orient itself and capture the changing light and sunsets of Playa Cerritos.
As for the materials, the main elements are the compacted-earth walls, whose physical presence evokes the surrounding dunes.
This traditional technique not only offers exceptional thermal performance, improving interior comfort against the temperature fluctuations of the desert, but it is also an ideal sustainable construction method that camouflages itself within the arid landscape.
These rammed-earth walls are complemented by exposed concrete and wood elements, creating a balanced dialogue between solidity and warmth. Concrete provides structure and modern sobriety, while wood brings the organic texture that softens the experience of inhabiting a space facing the sea.
With the Color of the Peninsula
The color palette of Villa Desierto is a direct tribute to the Baja California Sur peninsula. The warm, earthy tones are an aesthetic choice, but also a decision that reinforces the sense of belonging.
When observing the complex at sunset, the structure seems to merge with the arid landscape: the intensity of the light plays with the textures of concrete and earth, creating a composition that, according to its authors, “seems to have always been part of the landscape.”
This integration of colors extends into the interior, where the spaces reveal themselves as softly lit contemporary caves. The screens and voids regulate brightness and create a play of shadows that changes throughout the day, reminding us that light and wind are what define time in the desert.
Villa Desierto is a proposal that demonstrates that contemporary design can be deeply local and innovative. Formatelier Arquitectos has succeeded in creating a space that is not only functional and efficient, but also inspires and connects with the wild nature where it is located.
Can you imagine your next retreat in a space that connects so authentically with the landscape of one of Mexico’s best beaches?
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