In Mexico, This Growing Network of Prefab A-Frames Offers an Escape Off the Beaten Path

You’re definitely not roughing it. A skylight spans the length of the roof. Wine and s’more kits are delivered to your door. You can even partake in a massage on the terrace alongside a babbling brook. Welcome to Wander Cabins.

Some two hours outside of the biggest city in North America sits this mountain retreat in Malinalco, an area rich with Aztec history. Winding roads take you worlds away from the hubbub of Mexico City to an outdoors experience that is anything but primitive. The eight cabins here were designed by Michel Rojkind, founder of Rojkind Arquitectos. "We wanted to create something that people were familiar with: the A-frame—but with a twist," he says.

This is just one location for Wander Cabins, a collective of modern vacation rentals with outposts near major cities like Monterrey and Querétaro, each designed by different architects. "[It’s] a platform for collaboration and super cool design," says Rojkind.

But what sets apart this particular wave of glamping enclaves in Malinalco is not just an aesthetic update to the archetypal cabin-in-the-woods, but rather its social impact aims. The cabins in Malinalco sit on an ejido—an area intended for agricultural use granted by the government to protect land rights for locals. In this case, however, the government had stopped buying produce from the farmers as agreed upon, putting their livelihoods at stake. With the new retreat, Wander has been able to provide some income for the farmers by leasing the land from them. "Our main interest is in projects that give back to communities. It’s about designing strategies that give more," Rojkind says.

In addition to this income, the farmers, their spouses, and families have employment opportunities at the cabins, and can become partners and earn profit shares. "I love design, but more so, I love the relationship with the farmers and the social strategies that create an economy for everybody," Rojkind says. For example, as an add-on experience for guests—and sources of revenue for the farmers—the families prep food that you can cook in your cabin, and they lead visitors on horse rides through the property. "Why can’t they be part of the business also?" he adds.

The concept is an urban dweller’s dream—a private, turnkey retreat that’s not too far from the city while providing relief from it. More like an Airbnb than a hotel, there’s no front-desk reception, which is meant to foster privacy: You preorder your desired provisions, receive your digital door code, and anything you might need is already stocked in the cabin.

The modern hexagonal designs feature several sizes to accommodate individuals or groups. In one cabin, a lofted bed serves as a perch with views of every inch of the open floor plan. Make sure you’re in good company: A skylight zips its way from the entry floor, up overhead, and down the reverse side for a direct view into the open-air shower. "I thought, what if it could have a mezzanine and a skylight?" says Rojkind. "I love going to sleep looking at the moon. I wanted this cabin to be a little more extroverted in this sense. To me, it made a beautiful difference."

For more control during production and to minimize impact on the land, the cabins are prefabricated offsite by TUUX, a manufacturing company in Mexico City who designed everything with Rojkind down to the built-ins. Using an approach of "additive modularity," the cabins can stand alone or be connected together to create larger units.

According to Rojkind, Wander Cabins is generating interest from private buyers, but he’s more interested in focusing on how they can serve local communities. "Our conversations are about regeneration," he says. "How can we give back more to the site?" This project is bigger than glamping, and what’s more, it also serves as a manifestation of a zeitgeist, capturing today’s cultural shift in tourism. "People don’t want to go to hotels with 300 rooms anymore," he says. "They want an experience."

Rojkind is aware that traveling through Mexico can raise concerns around safety, which is something he wants to solve for with Wander. "It gives you a sense of freedom," he says. He imagines travelers creating itineraries with stays exclusively at the company’s different sites, taking the guesswork out of booking accommodations while exposing people to architects’ responses to the different settings. "It’s a beautiful platform for culture in general," he says.

Related Reading:

A Mirrored Hideaway Rises on an Extinct Volcano in Central Mexico

This Refined Getaway Started as a Rustic A-Frame With No Running Water