computational design and ecological materials

cellular cabins

type: architecture
role: architectural designer
collaboration: Jaime Pena Studio
location: Bacalar, Mexico
year: 2023

The cellular cabins project is a collection of 70 sqm eco-friendly huts designed for a holistic centre in Bacalar, Mexico. The huts use natural materials such as bamboo, wood, and earth. Developed under the coordination of Jaime Peña, my role involved conceptualizing two distinct hut typologies and producing technical drawings.

The concept subtly draws from the life cycle, reflecting the cellular division process. The layout of the huts mirrors this idea, with two types of structures representing different stages of growth. One hut typology embodies the division into two cells, while the other represents the division into four, trying to attend to the client’s vision of connecting to nature’s regenerative forces.

The roof design was shaped through the deformation of domes to achieve a fluid and organic form that embraces the cluster of huts. This design was refined in an iterative loop between Rhino and Grasshopper. Initially modelled in Rhino using SubD tools, the roof was then transformed into a mesh in Grasshopper, discretized into lines and points, and optimized through relaxation in Kangaroo.

conceptual design

Cell division: 2 cells
Cell division: 4 cells

design process

SubD dome: single-cell
SubD dome deformation: 2 cells
SubD dome deformation: 4 cells

typology A – two cells

design process

The handrail was designed by generating a venation pattern (Parakeet) on a surface, inspired by a handicraft wooden handrail found in a temple within the holistic centre.
Green: wood
The structural shell was created by intersecting random planes within a mesh, mimicking the natural process of building a bird’s nest.
Yellow: bamboo
The roof was designed using SubD and later refined through relaxation in Kangaroo. The openings for existing trees were introduced as the final step in both the design and construction process.
Brown: earth

technical schematics

First floor (area: 41sqm)
Second floor (area: 40sqm)
Section BB
Elevations 2 and 4

typology B – four cells

design process

The handrail was designed by generating a venation pattern (Parakeet) on a surface, inspired by a handicraft wooden handrail found in a temple within the holistic centre.
Green: wood
The structural shell was developed by subdividing and diagonalizing the quad mesh using Weaverbird and Kangaroo, resulting in a uniform gridshell.
Yellow: bamboo
The final mesh used to design the roof was offset to create a more extensive cover that protects the lidi bundle (a beam of several smaller bamboos) from rain and sun exposure.
Brown: earth

technical schematics

First floor (area: 33sqm)
Second floor (area: 33sqm)
Elevation 1
Elevation 3

both typologies

team

Creative Director: Jaime Pena.
Lead Architect: Camila Calegari Marques.
Parametric Modelling and Render: Camila Calegari Marques.

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