Zaha Hadid Architects Reinterprets Local Mayan Heritage With This Luxe Design

Zaha Hadid Architects’ new Alai residential buildings embrace the natural Mayan landscape while pushing the boundaries of design.

The Alai apartments by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) blends the rich history of Mayan architectural roots with contemporary design on the edge of the Nichupté Lagoon. Resembling futuristic watchtowers, the Alai apartments’ design “marries ecological considerations, engaging design and a reinterpretation of local architectural tradition,” says the firm’s release.

Part of this local tradition includes the use of repeating geometric components on the building’s exterior, as well as differing textures and patterns. This design allowed for a “unique facade for each building,” while still maintaining “a cohesive design language throughout.” The integrated perforations of the facades allow for natural light to touch the natural vegetation on the ground, while the wellness amenities are situated on a raised platform to allow native wildlife to freely roam on the woodland floor.

The balcony units provide a platform for unobstructed view of the Caribbean sea, as well as provide solar shading for the interior dwellings. Guided by eco-conscious and sustainable principles, the design “has significantly reduced its environmental impact by limiting the combined footprint of all residential buildings to less than 7 percent of the site’s total area,” says the release. Most of the vegetation on the site will be restored to its original state through an replanting program led by landscape architects Gross Max.

The high number of tourists flocking to the Mayan Riviera – as well as a nearly doubling of the residential population over the last decade – placed an added importance to the sustainable efforts of the Alai construction. With an aim to preserve the wild beauty of the wetland area, the firm wanted the design to accommodate “this continued growth in popularity while also curtailing its impact on the environment must be the principal driver for all new projects in the region.”

The design also includes an onsite botanical nursery and the creation of a woodland nature reserve.

About the author

Amber C. Snider

Home & Design Editor

Amber was born in Washington, D.C. and relocated to NYC in 2007. She received an M.A. degree in Liberal Studies: Women's Studies, Gender, and Sexuality from CUNY's Graduate Center and University, and an honors B.A. in English from The City College of New York. Before coming to Culture Trip, she was the executive editor for Metropolitan Magazine, a boutique luxury lifestyle and arts publication, as well as the editor for ResidencyNY Magazine. In 2015, she also started her own company, ACS Media Services, and has over 8+ years experience as a writer/editor in the NYC area. As one of the original employees in Culture Trip’s New York City office, Amber focuses on three verticals: Design, Architecture, and Home and Interiors, exploring how creativity and design influences our contemporary social landscape. She lives in Brooklyn with her typewriter.