Endemico Resguardo Silvestre, Mexico

The idea behind Endémico is "luxury camping." Set on 40 acres of gorgeous, unspoiled terrain, there are 20 bungalows and a shared pool for guests to take a dip in. The Encuentro Guadalupe winery offers guests access to local wines as well as a peek at how they are processed through winemaking courses. Encuentro's restaurant will feature dishes that incorporate local flavors as well as a cooking school where people can learn how to prepare creative meals with the guidance of talented young chefs.

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Gracia Studio, a San Diego-based firm, was responsible for designing Endemico’s sustainable structures, each of which has an outdoor terrace with a sitting area and a kiva (an outdoor clay chimney usually found in the city of Tecate). The bungalows were built using wood and Cor-ten steel, which changes color over time, making the building blend ever more seamlessly with the surroundings.

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Great care was taken to ensure that all 20 bungalows have the smallest possible carbon footprint. The units, which were produced in Mexicali (30 minutes from Valle de Guadalupe) and moved to Valle de Guadalupe, were simply hooked up to electricity and water with the help of a local team. The steel structure was perfect for "elevating the skeleton of the room, which we named EcoLoft, to avoid contact with the soil," the architects explained. Couturier adds, "We read the surroundings and their traditions to integrate the local culture into our project." As a result, Endémico Resguardo Silvestre is not only eco-friendly, but also socially and culturally responsible.

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"Grupo Habita is instrumental in bringing a minimalist/austere aesthetic to Mexico," the owners explain. "Luxury is about experiences, unique and unrepeatable." Endemico is about getting in touch with the surrounding nature and involving oneself with local artisanal and cultural activities. Thus, each cabin is furnished minimally with simple yet sleek furnishings, featuring a king size bed, wireless Internet, and a private terrace overlooking the valley.

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Guests need not to worry about privacy, despite the open and airy design of the accommodations. The units, thoughtfully and methodically interspersed between boulders, were incorporated into the mountain slopes so that ten sit parallel on one side of the slope, and another ten are nestled in the other side.

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All the rooms share the same simple layout. Some cabins are predominantly black, others, white. They are meant to feel clean and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows that bring in light and views from the outside. Designer Jorge Gracia of Gracia Studio created all the custom fixtures, from the lighting to the bed frames to the bedside tables.

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From the showers in the stark bathrooms, guests can still enjoy a view of the vineyards of Valle de Guadalupe.

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Along the borders of Endemico’s pool area, chic beige director’s chairs invite guests to sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery. "The view from the pool is like something out of the Hollywood hills, evoking the old movie set glamour," Couturier says. The restaurant and bar are perched nearby, also concealed among the rocky slope. All in all, "it's about midday naps, slow food, early evenings," says Couturier. "Balmy desert nights, star filled skies, wine by a terra-cotta fire pit. Natural silence. Endemico is an extension of this experience."

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