Casa del Este: A Home with Ocean Views

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean in a remote area of Baja California Sur, Casa del Este is an off-grid retreat that reinterprets the idea of the American vacation home, translating it into architecture deeply rooted in the Mexican landscape.

JVL Architects designed the home for a family from Alaska seeking sun, seclusion, and security. For them, Casa del Este is not just an escape from the extreme temperatures but also a place to relax and be together.

Casa del Este: A home for the whole family

The design grew from dialogue with the clients, whose brief called for three bedrooms with en suite bathrooms connected to the living area, a separate guest casita, a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, direct beach access, a firepit, a shaded terrace, an outdoor bar with barbecue, and a three-car garage. Two further requirements were to provide safe spaces for their young daughters and to shelter the house from strong winds without sacrificing the ocean views.

Access to the house is defined by a blank wall that protects the residents’ privacy, while leaving the pedestrian and vehicular entrances visible. From there, rammed-earth walls lead to the front door, gradually transitioning to a brick wall that frames an imposing oak door – a solid threshold that introduces the rhythm of life inside the home.

Inspired by traditional Mexican architecture, the courtyard is an organizing element, linking social and private spaces. A concrete pergola around the perimeter filters light and admits air, while providing variable shade without the use of glass roofing, which is vulnerable to hurricanes. A rectangular opening in the center accommodates a native elephant tree, which – surrounded by local flora and local rammed earth paving – forms the focal point of the courtyard.

A stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean

Through the courtyard, the house gradually opens toward the ocean: from the living area, to the terrace, to the infinity pool, and finally to the indistinct line of the horizon – with the shoreline less than 40 m away. The decision not to divide the double central volume to create additional rooms underscores a clear design choice to prioritize outdoor space.

The terrace naturally extends daily life outdoors, with the barbecue, bar, firepit, pool, and jacuzzi all connected to the home via fully opening sliding glass walls. A sandblasted concrete staircase leads down to the beach, completing the sequence of spaces.

Comprising compacted earth, exposed concrete, clay, marble, and oak, the material palette creates a raw, warm, and coherent vocabulary. Intentionally left imprinted with the horizontal lines of the formwork, the concrete plays a defining role.
Overlooking a separate courtyard, the independent casita offers privacy without interrupting the material vocabulary of the home.

Characterized by muted colors, soft textured fabrics, and custom furnishings, the interiors of Casa del Este, by interior architect Mariana Cabrera, are an extension of the exterior’s design language.

In terms of sustainability, Casa del Este is fully self-sufficient, operating off-grid thanks to its solar energy system. Located in an area without a mains water supply, the house uses private underground storage tanks, making efficient water treatment and use essential. Three of the tanks incorporate treatment systems that filter and store water for various uses, including watering the front garden. To reduce water consumption and ensure integration with the local landscape, the garden and terrace plantings feature species adapted to the local environment, including agaves, ocotillos, elephant trees, and giant cardon cacti.

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