ambrosi etchegaray nurtures endangered plant life with guayacan pavilion

mexico-based architecture firm ambrosi etchegaray presents the guayacan pavilion, an expression of materiality and space itself. in its transition across space and time, the pavilion grows with its deterioration and its assimilation into the natural landscape of oaxaca, mexico. with a minimal use of materials, it finds its maximum expression for presenting and nurturing the guayacan plant — an endemic tree included in the semarnat list of endangered species.

image by jaime navarro

on the site of casa wabi — an arts center located in puerto escondido, mexico — and with support from the environmental management unit (UMA), ambrosi etchegaray developed the guayacan pavilion as a nursery for the care and reproduction of the endangered plant species. while the architecture serves as a medium for the natural bucolic expressions being cultivated, the pavilion invites users and visitors to descend into the pathways beneath the level of the ground. this allows for a closer interaction with the trees and a perception of the temperature, the humidity of the atmosphere, the flow of air, and the relationship between the species and the groundwater.

image by jaime navarro

through its picturesque, imperfect beauty and austerity, the pavilion opens with a large shaded entrance threshold which serves as a resting place for workers and visitors. the guayacan pavilion offers visitors the chance to walk among the seedlings and ensue upon a sequence of work tables whose form are the remains of the excavation. with this level change, the design team seeks to care for the environment as well as to respect those who work there, reducing the physical exertion of workers as they clean and care for the new trees.

image by sergio lópez