SOUTH BAY DIGS | Digital Edition Online

September 4, 2020

DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.

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60 DIGS.NET | 9.4.2020 A R C H I T E C T U R E + D E S I G N P R O F I L E | C A S A S I S A L (FROM TOP) LIKE THE REST OF CASA SISAL, THE MODERN KITCHEN BREATHES AND COMPLEMENTS THE OPENNESS OF THE OVERALL SPACE. THE STRUCTURE LOOKS OUT TO THE LARGE GREEN EXPANSE THAT IS LUSHLY APPOINTED WITH ROYAL PALMS AND WATER LILY REFLECTING PONDS. PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF BOUTIQUEHOMES T he extravagance of architectural styles in Mexico— buildings rich in characteristics, color and materials— makes for a vibrant texture throughout the country. In the state of Yucatan, in a small village outside its colonial- style capital city of Mérida, Casa Sisal is one such work. An homage to its historical and regional roots, the contemporary building's striking white façade lends forceful clarity to its clean lines and emerald-green expanse featuring royal palms, water lily reflecting ponds and a pool as seemingly edgeless as the sky. The architecturally honored Casa Sisal is, in many ways, a product of its anthropology. It is tucked away on the property of a historic hacienda that, like many similar W R I T T E N B Y J E N N T H O R N T O N MAYA MODERN In the land of Mexican architect Luis Barragán, a contemporary casa with historical references is a tribute to the light and sky of Yucatan. in the Yucatan, celebrates its origin as a producer of henequén (sisal). Enclosed by the hacienda's original 10-foot walls, the 2,000-square-foot Casa Sisal remains a world all its own, constructed of hard woods, limestone and plaster polished to a sleek finish by the ancient Mayan technique chukum—all design decisions made by local architect Salvador Reyes Rios. "We knew Salvador had a contemporary leaning, as we do, so when we saw preliminary sketches, we knew Casa Sisal's modern aesthetic would be a wonderful architectural addition to the hacienda," says the owner, who, prior to building the home, had traveled extensively throughout Mexico and therefore was sympathetic to and understanding of its historical renovations. "We always knew we would someday have a home in Mexico, but always envisioned the Pacific coast or colonial interior," she continues. "The Yucatan became the pure, isolated, uncomplicated Mexico that we remembered from travels 30 years ago. The combination of the historic and the modern satisfies our aesthetics perfectly." Placed at the far end of a drying field for maximum privacy, and with a north/south orientation that makes the most of cross ventilation, Casa Sisal was "designed to bring the outside in," says the owner, noting the space's 10-foot ceiling and

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