Two young Mexican entrepreneurs are trying to redefine the way we take vacations.
Anica is a project that focuses on providing green solutions using creativity, architecture and using sustainable practices that are suitable for the regions climate. This is the idea of two young Mexicans, Ale Templeton, who’s specialized in sustainability architecture; and Hector Templeton. “Travel is one of the best pleasures of life, especially places where you can be in direct contact with nature and its attractions. This world still offers several regions that are well conserved and have minimum impact by man. We want to keep it that way. To be able to enjoy nature and beaches without the pollution and crowds that major developments generate.” says Hector.
After many months of research they came up with a design that incorporates appropriate technologies for the Baja California Sur region, which latitude makes this region a large and isolated desert, so saving energy and water are a priority. Such technologies include rammed earth walls, which use local materials and have thermal properties that help control the home’s internal temperature; the incorporation of a solar chimney which is a passive way of improving the natural ventilation by convection (air is heated at the top and sucks in cool air from below); doors and windows are also an important part since they have to be insulated to keep the heat away and avoid losing the cool air inside; harvesting rainwater to be used for daily activities; processing gray water to use for irrigation; and finally, the use of solar panels to provide clean energy.
The goal is to have an enjoyable sustainable home that has a very low impact on the land, allowing guests to be more in touch with their natural surroundings on a daily basis. To make this a reality is a big challenge for these young entrepreneurs, the biggest obstacle are the high cost of green technologies.
“We want to replicate this model on several desert locations worldwide where entrepreneurs seek to maintain places where nature still remains dominant.” Says Hector.
Anica aims to start a crowdfunding campaign in the next month to access money to begin the construction of the first prototype. To learn more about their project, you can look for them on Facebook and on their website.
