A quartet of seven-metre-tall huts, BAAQ’s Casa Naila sits atop a concrete plinth on a 250-square-metre beach property in Oaxaca. Each box is distinctively wrapped, partially by concrete walls and partially by slatted palm wood enclosures supported by wooden framing. This vernacular building technique, which allows cross ventilation and natural light to filter through, is complemented by the simplicity within. The spacious lower level features a floor made of earth and clay (which, as authentic Oaxacan cuisine dictates, is also the material of the stove in the communal kitchen) and is topped with a cozy loft. In the cross-shaped space between the huts, the architects set planters, an outdoor dining area and a central pool. The broken-up nature of the design enables maximum flexibility: The site can house up to 15 people at a time, perhaps fewer due to physical distancing.

Location Puerto Escondido, Mexico Firm BAAQ’, Mexico Team Jos. Alfonso Quinones R.os with Mara Aguilar, Jalil Miguel, Ainhoa Jim.nez, Liliana Tamayo, Christian Godoy, Carlos Medina, Alfonso Sodi, Gerardo Reyes Retana and Mario Conde Photos Edmund Sumner