Amelia Tulum, a new residential project by Mexico City-based studio Sordo Madaleno, takes a different approach to blending nature and architecture; here, the architects hope that 'architecture becomes part of the jungle', the practice writes. The project, set within the Riviera Maya's Aldea Zamá, a part of the country awash with historical sites, cenotes (sinkholes) and leafy jungle, was conceived to provide a human-centred dwelling for its inhabitants while respecting its precious context.
Tour Amelia Tulum by Sordo Madaleno
The residential complex contains 38 apartments, ranging from 90 sq m to 150 sq m. Terraces and open-air amenities such as a roof bar, hammocks, a pool, sunbeds and a grill, ensure residents remain in contact with nature and the outdoors throughout the development.
'Amelia Tulum’s concept is born of respect for the natural conditions of the climate, topography and native vegetation. The proposed construction has the least impact on the terrain, using the minimum footprint when raising the structure above the ground – the way a stilt house coexists with its natural environment. This decision gave rise to all the aesthetic characteristics of the complex,' the architects say.
The building's clever integration with nature does not just protect the environment's existing character. It also ensures that temperatures are kept low in this particular warm part of the world. Additionally, passive systems, such as eaves with vegetation above the windows, natural woven screens shading, and pergolas (made by locally sourced wood species jiles), bolster the scheme's sustainable architecture credentials.
The structure is made of reinforced concrete and post-tensioned slab systems. The detailing and surfaces beyond that prioritise artisan techniques and labour from the region, ensuring the local communities are engaged and benefit from the construction.
-
In the frame: Layer is a new high-tech platform for displaying unique pieces of generative artA museum-grade canvas renders digital art with spectacular precision, cutting-edge tech and exacting industrial design
-
Chrome tableware to make your dining setup shineOnce a hallmark of industrial and midcentury design, chrome is shining once again. The latest expression? Metallic dinner-, drink- and serveware that embody sophistication
-
Serenity radiates through this Mexican home, set between two ravinesOn the cusp of a lakeside town, Mexican home Casa el Espino is a single-storey residence by Soler Orozco Arquitectos (SOA)
-
Serenity radiates through this Mexican home, set between two ravines
On the cusp of a lakeside town, Mexican home Casa el Espino is a single-storey residence by Soler Orozco Arquitectos (SOA)
-
Mexican landscape architect Mario Schjetnan's Grupo de Diseño wins 2025 Oberlander PrizeThe 2025 Oberlander Prize goes to Mexican landscape architect Mario Schjetnan and his studio, Grupo de Diseño, highlighting the creative's motto: 'We have a human right to open space'
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthThis September, Wallpaper highlighted a striking mix of architecture – from iconic modernist homes newly up for sale to the dramatic transformation of a crumbling Scottish cottage. These are the projects that caught our eye
-
A Mexican clifftop retreat offers both drama, and a sense of placeCasa Piscina del cielo, a clifftop retreat by Zozaya Arquitectos, creates the perfect blend of drama and cosiness on Mexico's Pacific Coast
-
Broken up into six pavilions, this brutalist Mexican house is embedded in the landscapeSordo Madaleno’s brutalist Mexican house, Rancho del Bosque, is divided up into a series of pavilions to preserve the character of its hillside site, combining concrete, curves and far-reaching views
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthWallpaper* has spotlighted an array of remarkable architecture in the past month – from a pink desert home to structures that appears to float above the ground. These are the houses and buildings that most captured our attention in August 2025
-
Estudio Ome on how the goal of its landscapes ‘is to provoke, even through a subtle detail, an experience’The Mexico City-based practice explores landscape architecture in Mexico, France and beyond, seeking to unite ‘art and ecology’
-
Pretty in cactus-inspired pink, this Mexican desert house responds to its arid contextCasa Cardona, a pink house by architects Sensacional Dinamica Mexicana, is a multigenerational home that celebrates colour and changing light
