With the small house movement getting so much well deserved interest,
I thought it would be interesting to show some examples
we saw in Mulege, B.C.S. at
The first two photos above are of a home lived in year round,
with the kitchen on the bottom level, bedroom on the upper level,
and a living area out front under the palapa.
A continuing work in progress,
a stairway to replace the ladder was being built while we were there.
Currently the owner uses the nearby park bathrooms, 100' away,
but a bathroom addition to the rear of the house is in the planning stages.
The owner of the park built this cute space (above) on to a small used travel trailer
for a retiree who spends about half the year here.
For people on a limited income
this represents a cost effective way to live very comfortably.
The trailer has the kitchen, bath, and bed while the addition
is a nice bright living room, with a beautiful garden in the fenced area.
Although palm fronds are used extensively for thatched roofs in this area
this home has a corrugated metal roof, also common here.
This nicely designed and built home was not being used while we were there
but was ready to go when the owner returns (above).
It would be easy to add the tent roof over the kitchen
and shower area (which is hidden by the wall on the far right).
Above the roof is nicely framed
with what looks to be wood from local and abundant palm trees.
What a joy to build in a climate where heating is of little concern.
The kitchen, above, is built to withstand the elements
including the occasional hurricane that hits this area.
Add a stove and the shelf above the counter and one is good to go.
Because of the frequency of hurricanes,
and the wind and flooding that comes with them,
the homes need to be weatherized while not being used,
which basically means stowing things away...
...and having secure windows and doors.
The above buildings are all made with cement block
and much of the lumber is shipped down from the states.
It would be nice to see more use of local materials
such as adobe, stone and wood from the palm trees,
instead of the expensive cement and imported lumber
that incurs high shipping costs.
And speaking of using local materials
is this attractive shed (above) built with locally made bamboo mats and a thatch roof.
The walls are framed with palm tree wood
while the roof is framed with standard 2x4's.
While we were staying at Huerta Don Chano this was built
and in the next post we will see how.
To see more go to LABELS - MEXICO on the right side bar
and click on Building In Baja California Sur.
